Sour Dough Starter

by | Feb 9, 2026 | Mindset and Resilience

What does it mean to "prime the pump"?

Two old-school images keep popping into my head when I think about protecting everything we’re building together: a bubbling sourdough starter and an old well pump that needs priming.

A sourdough starter is alive. Feed it daily and it lives forever. Neglect it for weeks and you can still revive it with fresh flour and water. It never truly dies.

Priming the pump means pouring a little water in so the pump can pull a flood out. Without that first splash, the pump stays dry and useless.

Real-estate legend Robert Allen nailed it: “Always keep enough cash to start over.” That reserve is your sourdough starter AND your priming water. It removes fear, lets you swing big, and guarantees you’ll never be broke-broke.

I like to use these two ideas to represent a method for avoiding starting all over at a zero line.

Real Estate Guru Robert Allen gave us some sound advice: We must always have a reserve of cash to start over if we mess up and our business venture fails.

That reserve allows us to be unafraid in taking risks.

That's all we need to try again, until success inevitably arrives.

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”

— Jim Rohn

Why Most People Stay Stuck at Zero

 

I’ve made and lost millions. Here’s the pattern I see in every failure story (including some of mine):

  • No cash reserve → one setback wipes them out → shame kicks in → they quit.

With a reserve, the story flips:

  • Venture crashes → tap the reserve → learn the lesson → relaunch in 48 hours → repeat until you win.

Your generation calls it “optionality.” I call it freedom. Same thing.

 
Thank Goodness we had a reserve , resilience, and a never give up attitude.
Focus on learning from all of our experiences, even the painful ones we want to forget.

Your Daily “Feed the Starter” Ritual (Do These 3 Things TODAY)

 

Starting TODAY, treat your cash reserve like a living culture. Feed it every single day—no exceptions. Takes 7 minutes max.

  1. Micro-Sale (30 seconds)
    Open your phone → Vinted, Depop, Facebook Marketplace, or your campus group. Sell ONE thing you don’t use (old sneakers, textbook, Xbox game). Price it for same-day cash. Goal: $5–$20.
  2. Micro-Hustle (3 minutes)
    Text three friends: “I’ll shoot and edit a 60-second TikTok/Reel for $15—DM me.” Or offer to record basketball highlights for teammates. Or find a DJ gig for one night and expect to get paid for your efforts. One yes pays for the whole week.
  3. Micro-Save (30 seconds)
    Whatever you earn from #1 or #2 goes straight into a separate savings account titled “START-OVER FUND” (Capital One 360, Ally, or Fidelity Cash Management—zero fees). Label it exactly that so you never touch it.
Repeat tomorrow. And the next day. And every day you breathe.
In 30 days you’ll have $150–$300 that belongs to future-you. In one year that’s $2,000–$5,000 of pure priming water.

"Start Over Fund- Do Not Touch"

Watch Fear Disappear

When you KNOW you can rebuild in a weekend, you stop playing scared.

  • You’ll negotiate harder on side gigs.
  • You’ll say yes to bigger opportunities.
  • You’ll sleep like a baby after a failed crypto trade or a bad real-estate flip (ask me how I know).

That reserve isn’t lazy money—it’s rocket fuel disguised as cash.

Let’s keep the culture alive.
Feed the starter. Prime the pump. Never start from zero again.