Episode 161: Michael and Jennifer Salisbury on High Velocity Couples
Summary
If you have ever read Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”, you know that all you have to do is figure out what you are looking for. Michael and I were looking for a real estate mentor, and well, we found one. AND he happens to have a podcast called “High Velocity Couples”. Paul and Leticia Montelongo interview Michael and I on this week’s episode, where we talk about everything from what success looks like to what each other’s super powers are, and everything in between. If you want a raw, unfiltered look at the Salisbury’s today’s episode is it!
Listen to the full episode :
This Week’s Blog Post:
Building a Life by Design
Hi friends! I’m Dr. Jen, and this episode of My Life as a Landlord is a little different because my husband Michael and I were featured on the High Velocity Couple podcast with Paul and Leticia Montelongo. They invited us to share our story of how we’ve intentionally built a life together—one that spans from Canada to Maui—and how our real estate journey has been shaped by faith, goal setting, and partnership. From the start, everything about our relationship has been about designing a life on purpose, not by default.
Goal Setting and Napoleon Hill
One of the fun parts of our story is how much Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich has influenced us. I’ve read it 29 times, each time writing the date in the back of the book. For me, it’s like stereo instructions for life—you get something new from it every time you revisit it. The hardest part isn’t following the steps; it’s figuring out what you really want. Once you know, the world has a way of aligning to bring it to you. That mindset shaped everything from how we met to the lifestyle we’ve created.
From Logging and Nuclear Reactors to Real Estate
Michael and I come from very different backgrounds—he was a builder and even a competitive logger, while I served as a nuclear propulsion engineer in the U.S. Navy. When we married, we faced an immigration nightmare and the U.S. housing crash, while Canada’s market was still strong. We had to get creative. Michael started building houses, and together we discovered the power of renting suites and acquiring multi-unit properties. Our portfolio grew step by step, always guided by goals we had written down and kept in front of us.
Staying in Our Own Lanes
One of the lessons we’ve learned is the importance of staying in our own lanes. As two strong-willed people who were both single for over a decade before meeting, collaboration wasn’t always easy. But once we divided responsibilities—me on organization, finances, and systems, him on building and deal-making—we found our rhythm. Tools like our magic whiteboard help us reset priorities and keep everything visible. We don’t always agree, but we play full out, and that’s our shared superpower.
Balancing Love, Work, and Legacy
Working together as a couple is rewarding but also challenging. We’ve had to learn how to separate business partner roles from being husband and wife. Sometimes I give myself permission to say, “That’s a coffee conversation for tomorrow,” so we don’t let business take over every part of our relationship. Legacy is always in our minds—whether it’s through the houses we’ve built, the podcast I created, or the lessons we share with Michael’s daughter. At the heart of it all, friendship comes first. That’s the foundation of both our marriage and our business.
This episode was recorded in San Antonio, Texas. Why? Because real estate takes you places. Where do you want real estate to take you?