Ruben Helo’s story is one of quiet determination, gratitude, and the kind of drive that can only come from watching your parents sacrifice everything. Now with Helo International at eXp Luxury in Denver, Ruben grew up in southwest Denver around Jewell and Federal, the oldest child and only son of parents who immigrated from Mexico with middle-school educations and built a life through sheer work. He watched his mom go from waitressing to a 25-year CNA career while always selling something on the side, and his dad put in long blue-collar days without complaint. Those examples planted a conviction in him early: he wanted to do something big.

He became the first in his family to graduate college, earning a communications degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 2015, then worked his way through a winding series of jobs, from RadioShack to bank teller to Verizon sales, an electrical apprenticeship, and barber school. It was 'Rich Dad Poor Dad', picked up just before he finished barbering, that flipped the switch. He saw real estate as a vehicle for building wealth and started real estate school the day after barber school ended.

Ruben got licensed in the summer of 2019 and committed fully at the start of 2020, only for the pandemic to hit months later. What followed was a trial by fire: no income for months, sleeping on a friend’s floor, and supporting his sister through the darkest chapter of her life. He kept showing up, closed his first listing that summer, joined a team that taught him to run real estate like a business, and built momentum that hasn’t stopped since.

In this episode, Ruben opens up about the immigrant work ethic that shaped him, his mission to one day retire his parents, his deep belief in coaching and continuous learning, and the holistic approach to real estate that keeps him ready for any market. Above all, it’s a conversation about showing up when there’s nothing to show for it yet, standing firmly on your values, and the simple truth that if you strike at the tree long enough, it will fall.

And Ruben’s story… starts now!

www.everettslending.com
720-979-8742
jimmy@everettslending.com
IG: @jimmythesaint5280

Nicole Pominville's story is one of precision, reinvention, and a genuine care for the people she serves. Now with Compass in Denver, Nicole grew up in Colorado Springs as what she calls the "adult child," the oldest of all the cousins, the one who ran the show and did everything by the book. Raised by a bar-owner mom and a salesman dad who never went to college but pushed education hard, she headed to DU, chose accounting as a freshman, and spent five years earning her degree and master's.

A career in numbers followed, from internal audit work on financial controls to a brief, unhappy stretch in oil and gas to a regional accounting firm. Along the way she realized she couldn't picture doing it for the next 30 years. A friend's success drew her into recruiting, her first true sales role, where she spent several years placing accounting and finance leaders at major companies and discovered she loved the human, matchmaking side of the work. Then COVID arrived, froze hiring, and dried up her commissions, just after she'd bought her first home. When her own realtor suggested she'd be good at this, Nicole got licensed.

She did it wisely, keeping her recruiting income while she learned the ropes, passing her exam the week of Thanksgiving in 2020 and closing her first deal the following March. She leaned hard on her sphere and on the mentor who guided her through one of the craziest markets in memory, and when a stretch on her own exposed how much she still needed to build, she rededicated herself to creating real systems and a repeatable process.

In this episode, Nicole opens up about the winding road from accounting to real estate, the discipline of nurturing relationships in a business with little instant gratification, and the deep value she places on mentoring new agents, teaching them to lead with empathy and treat every client's story as if it were their own. Above all, it's an honest conversation about caring enough to get everything right for the people who trust you.

And Nicole's story… starts now!

www.everettslending.com
720-979-8742
jimmy@everettslending.com
IG: @jimmythesaint5280

Brady Efting's story is one of reinvention, self-awareness, and the quiet confidence that comes from finally being yourself. The co-founder of the Denver Living Group at Compass grew up a normal, sports-obsessed kid in small-town South Dakota, with stretches in the Colorado mountains and a childhood shaped by his parents' divorce and a lot of moving around. He'll tell you all that bouncing between towns, including twice in his freshman year, toughened him up and taught him how to connect with anyone.

After a political science and psychology degree at the University of Northern Colorado, about four and a half years as a paralegal at a Vail real estate law firm, and a memorable failed attempt to open a bar in Spain, Brady moved to Denver, earned his teaching credentials, and spent six years teaching social studies. When that path ran its course, his wife Alejandra offered the nudge that changed everything: if you're not happy, why wait? He gave himself 90 days to close his first deal, leaned on mentors and his own database of former students' families, and never looked back.

Twelve years later, Brady has built a business he's genuinely proud of, but the road there taught him something important. He spent time trying to operate like other successful agents before realizing his real edge was simply being the trustworthy, down-to-earth guy his friends and their families already knew. That authenticity became the foundation of everything, and eventually the basis for the Denver Living Group, the team he co-founded with Sam Newman.

In this episode, Brady opens up about fatherhood and building his days around his son, Luca, why quitting drinking three years ago sharpened his mindset, the morning gym routine that anchors him, and the books and philosophies (give without keeping score, focus on what matters, let the rest go) that shape how he works. Above all, it's a warm, funny reminder that your success finds you once you're honest about who you are.

And Brady's story… starts now!

www.everettslending.com
720-979-8742
jimmy@everettslending.com
IG: @jimmythesaint5280