My name is Ronnie Shalev, and I’m a financially retired ER physician.

My story began like many others: for my entire life, I dreamed of becoming a physician. My goal was to have a job that was highly valued, respected, and offered great financial stability. After years of studying hard in college and medical school, that dream finally came true.

At first, it was a thrill to help people with whatever problems they had—heart attacks, stab wounds, sprained ankles, you name it—and I was really good at it!

Even though it was a tough job, I handled it well. Then things changed. As time went on, seeing such horrific things became very stressful and took a toll on my emotional wellbeing. When you’re an ER doctor, you’re part of everyone’s worst day. I was constantly worrying and internalizing, did I do the right thing? What other horrific accident will I see tomorrow?

Every single day, every single patient—my mind would never stop.

This career couldn’t accommodate long recovery times, like long breaks or vacations, so I had to try to clear my head and recover between shifts. Almost a decade after beginning my medical career, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to sustain this physically and mentally exhausting job forever.

It was then that I realized my life had taken a strange turn: I was a high-earning doctor, working my dream job, only I had no energy, freedom, or time to enjoy the life that I had built. I felt exhausted, burnt out, and completely trapped.

I began wondering how to invest my money so that it created wealth, while I was relaxing at home.

How could I make money while I slept?

Mailbox money—otherwise known as passive income, would allow me to cut back on my shifts at the ER without sacrificing a substantial loss of income, so that I could enjoy a more balanced life.

Beginning in 2015, I started investing in real estate.

I bought into my first syndication, which is a group of investors who pool their funds to buy or build properties.

It’s difficult for individuals to buy such big or commercial properties on their own, but syndications make it possible for a group of financial investors to invest in and fund large real estate projects.

As a passive investor, I received financial distributions every quarter, finally finding a way to make recurring income without having to do anything, except let my money do the work for me.

As time went on, I eventually became an active syndicator, and the money I earned allowed me to quit my grueling emergency room job and move into a less-demanding role at a medical device company.

During this journey, I’ve spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars learning how to invest in real estate.

Now I am equipped to help others become passive investors themselves.

My mission is to share my knowledge and help those who are feeling stuck, earn passive income that will allow them to take back their time, and enjoy a more balanced, financially-free life.