How I Built a Life Around Freedom and Used Boring Businesses to Fund It

How I Built a Life Around Freedom and Used Boring Businesses to Fund It

Author: Nick Huber March 17, 2026 Duration: 19:35

Mikk and I sat down to talk about what it really means to build a business that supports the life you want instead of trapping you in a cycle of stress and burnout. I walked him through the lessons I've learned from operating service companies, investing in real estate, and hiring globally to lower overhead. We got into how I've used boring, simple businesses to build leverage, why momentum is the most dangerous drug in entrepreneurship, and how I protect my time so I can focus on what matters. We also talked about content, writing the book, and the pressure that comes with growing a holdco while staying grounded. This episode is about discipline, delayed gratification, and building a system that gives you real freedom.

Grow your business:  

https://sweatystartup.com/events

 

Book:  

https://www.amazon.com/Sweaty-Startup-Doing-Boring-Things/dp/006338762X  

 

Newsletter:  

https://www.nickhuber.com/newsletter  

 

My Companies:  

Offshore recruiting – https://somewhere.com  

Cost segregation – https://recostseg.com  

Self storage – https://boltstorage.com  

RE development – http://www.boltbuilders.com  

Brokerage – https://nickhuber.com  

Paid ads – https://adrhino.com  

SEO – https://boldseo.com  

Insurance – https://titanrisk.com  

Pest control – https://spidexx.com  

 

Sell a business:  

http://nickhuber.com/sell  

 

Buy a business:  

https://www.nickhuber.com/buy  

 

Invest with me:  

http://nickhuber.com/invest  

 

Social Profiles:  

X – https://www.x.com/sweatystartup  

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sweatystartup  

TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/404?fromUrl=/sweatystartup  

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweatystartup  

 

Podcasts:  

The Sweaty Startup & The Nick Huber Show  

https://open.spotify.com/show/7L5zQxijU81xq4SbVYNs81  

 

Free PDF – How to analyze a self-storage deal:  

https://sweatystartup.ck.page/79046c9b03

 


Forget the theory and get into the trenches. The Sweaty Startup is a direct conversation about building real businesses from the ground up. Host Nick Huber, a successful entrepreneur himself, cuts through the noise to share the practical principles, strategies, and methods that actually grow companies. Each episode focuses on actionable advice you can use immediately, whether you're just starting out or looking to scale. This podcast is built on the belief that success comes from rolling up your sleeves and doing the work-the sweaty, often overlooked fundamentals that create lasting value. You'll hear straightforward discussions on operations, hiring, marketing, and profitability, all delivered without fluff. It’s for anyone who prefers clear, direct talk over inspirational platitudes and wants a reliable source of hard-won knowledge. Tune in to make your vision a concrete reality.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Sweaty Startup
Podcast Episodes
399: Set your site up for SEO and Win [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:48
In this clip, join Nick, and Barrett on how to get found on Google with SEO! They cover the fundamentals of link building and why it matters for growing SMB and RE businesses. If you are interested in SEO for your compan…
398: The Mindset Shift that Changed my Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:44
In this episode, I want to discuss one of the most important moments that changed the way I think and made the biggest difference in my life as an entrepreneur. This was some of the best advice I could have received! It…
397: How self-doubt sabotages you [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:21
One of the toughest things about life is that if you have self-doubt, and insecurity and you think that you're not good enough, that manifests itself and holds you back so significantly. I know you are familiar with inse…
396: How I'm Building My Holding Company [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:30
In this clip, I talk with Chris Powers about how I'm building my holding company and all of my businesses Thanks for listening! Like this episode? I think you'll love my newsletter. I write a long form essay on how to bu…
395: 8 Minutes of Rapid Fire Questions & Answers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:03
Here's a clip from a podcast that I did last year. I talk about building businesses, various challenges, what I'd do with more cash, productivity hacks, what traits you need to be successful, and more. Thanks for listeni…
394: Why Following Your Passion is The Wrong Way To Do Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:32
This is a clip from a podcast that I did last year. In it, I discuss why following your passion is the wrong way to do business. Instead, you should think about business more like a poker player that has to take calculat…
393: Why a High Stress Tolerance is Essential For Entrepreneurship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:51
Stress is relative. Here's why I'm no longer as stressed out when things get "hard" or go wrong in my business today. This is my story of one of the hardest moments in my early entrepreneurial career. At the time, I thou…
391: How to Delegate The Right Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:54
In business, there are two levels of delegation. Tasks and decisions. Here's exactly how you can go from level 1 delegation (tasks) to level 2 delegation (decisions) over time. Thanks for listening! Like this episode? I…
390: Why Making Money is a Good Thing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:26
Everyone says that making money doesn't matter until you want to buy a house or move to be closer to family or have a safe, functional car or eat where you want to eat or go on a vacation or a family member gets sick and…