Living The Red Life - From Math Teacher to 33 Deals in Year Two

Episode Date: May 24, 2026

Haley Jones starts as a high school math teacher questioning the system, then walks away to build something entirely her own. In this episode, a real estate entrepreneur and host of the Big Orange Business podcast reveals how she turned uncertainty into momentum using digital marketing, YouTube, and relentless consistency. From early self-doubt to scaling to 33 transactions in year two, she breaks down the mindset shifts, resilience, and strategy behind her growth. Along the way, she shares how endurance sports, self-talk, and embracing discomfort shaped her ability to win in business and life. This is a raw look at what it actually takes to create your version of the Red Life.Key TakeawaysChoose your struggle: staying stuck or finding a way outConsistency in digital marketing compounds results over timeBrutal honesty builds trust and closes more dealsResilience is built through repeated personal challengesYour self-talk directly impacts performance and outcomesNotable Quotes“Choose the struggle of staying stuck or the struggle of getting out.”“You don’t have to accept your current situation.”“I am not pushy until it’s time to turn it on.”“Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room and move forward.”“What you say to yourself changes your outcome.”Connect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

I honestly think that a lot of my resilience comes from, you know, and I have, you know, the massive story of like weight struggle and being 240 pounds. And I think the process of like losing that weight made me resilient in the sense of like psychotically resilient. I don't know. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I just think that was the first taste of like put the effort in. And I know that's like very simple. I know that life is like I get all that. But I'm just saying like, you know, it's a choice at the end of the day like choose a struggle.

of like staying in this struggle or choose a struggle of like how to get out. What do you feel your legacy is or what would you like your legacy to be? I would like my legacy to be as silly as this is and I'm not there yet. But like I want to like do something like world changing, something that's like such a big impact.

My name's Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the Red Life, ditch the Blue Pill, take the red pill, join me in Wonderland, and change your life. Welcome back to another episode of the Living Your Legacy podcast, the Red Life edition.

Joining me today is another legacy maker, quite the legacy maker. Gosh, I cannot wait for this one. We literally finished filming her episode today. Haley Jones, all the way from Knoxville. Yes, go bald. Dude, how do you feel? You literally finished filming your episode today? I feel great.

Yeah, I was nervous going into it, but it was great. It was a good time and, you know, cool to kind of share your story. Where to begin? I kind of want to do the teaser trailer version. What can we learn? What will we learn about your episode? You'll learn about what wrestling, high school math, and international development and real estate all have in common. Knoxville.

I was like, how do I start this podcast? There's got to be something in the water in Tennessee. Everyone that I meet out of Nashville is amazing. But everyone that I'm from Knoxville is a different level. Talk about what's in the water. What makes you so Knoxvillian? I mean, I think we have a chip on our shoulder because Nashville is great. Okay, I like Nashville.

But Knoxville is we've got the mountains. We've got moonshine, you know, so when you grow up with moonshine, you have to, that's what's in the water, actually. I was going to say here in Miami, they give you the Cuban coffee at a small age. I started drinking that liquid cocaine very early on. And I don't think my grandmother understood that wasn't good for me. And here I am now. So yeah, talk about where do we start? I kind of want to just talk about wrestling,

but that would be unfair to your journey. We totally can. We can talk about whatever. Okay, right on. Well, let's talk about your podcast. Okay. It's orange apparently. Yeah, so it's called Big Orange business

because the University of Tennessee, we have a saying it's GBO, which is Go Big Orange. And so I was thinking, because I didn't want it to be like, Knoxville business owners. You know what I mean? Like no one cares. So, and then I also was thinking, okay, what's something that goes with where we are? And so I was like, big orange, big orange business, big orange bubble bubble.

And so I just always, then of course I went to chat GTPT, which I don't think it was like that far along two years ago when this whole thing started. And I was like, what do you think about this? And then I went to my husband and, of course, you should never do that. You know, because he had some other ideas. So it just made sense. And I like the big, I like the double B situation. So, and also it, I didn't want it to be like the Haley Jones podcast because that's not what the intention is. It's about business owners in the big orange.

So like I say that in my intro and that, you know, business owners doing cool things in the big orange. So this is kind of another way to say like we're in East Tennessee. We're in Knoxville without saying this is the Knoxville business owners podcast, you know. So how do folks, like are folks receptive to what you're trying to do with local business owners or are the skeptical? Do they know what a podcast is? What's been the feedback? I've had great feedback. Obviously, you know, I honestly, I feel like growing a podcast as like a long game, just like YouTube. So I'm really just, you know, working towards consistency. But now I've gotten where people reach out to be on there. And people, I get really great like feedback. And again, it's just another way of like sharing yourself with people without, you know, vomiting like, hey, you know, well, you know. And I think for business owners too, I think that I get a lot of like, I'm not good on camera or, you know, like, I don't know.

But it's like, it's not about that. Like, we're just having a conversation. So I think that actually, that's been a really cool thing is for some business owners, they're like, oh, I'm so nervous. I'm like, you're going to be fine. Like, I got you. Like, we're good. So that's been, I think, kind of cool for some of the people that have been interviewed there.

So, yeah. For sure, because I'm sure back in the day or back of the day, I don't know what the hell that means. But, you know, folks weren't used to being entertainers or gestures on camera and kind of hustling their story. Yeah. Things are dramatically different now. But you kind of always sort of known that because you enjoyed cutting promos as a wrestler,

which is kind of like theater coaching or even like coaching coaching for entrepreneurs. You had a presence and you understood, you know, life is always in play. Yeah. And I think I just always knew that I always had this way of like getting a reaction, I guess. Yeah. A pop, as they call it a pop. Exactly. Don't mess with me.

Inside talk here. Yeah, I always just kind of knew that. And I also knew I had it in like a, well, I think when you teach math too, you have to have it. Yeah. Because no one care. I mean, come on. That was an excellent question. You were a math teacher that was skeptical about the teaching of math.

Yeah, exactly. So, you know, I just think, I guess I've just always kind of had this. I mean, my very first, like, monologue was like for a church play. And I remember getting up there and I was like, I killed that, you know, and I was like five years old or something. So I've always had this like, I don't know. Were you on stage going? I will be playing the role of Lucifer. Like, what?

No, I was not the devil. Talk about your experiences, like taking a bump, cutting promos, going into the ring, and then kind of just brushing that off and having your day job. Yeah. Well, so I got into wrestling. This is so lame. Okay. It's so freaking.

I'm still here for it. Because I am a, like, reality TV, like, junkie. Okay? Seriously. So there was a show called Total Divas. And it was like about all the women. women in WWE. And I was training with like a professional, like a physical, not a physical therapist, like a trainer,

like a, you know, personal trainer. There we go. There we go. And I was like, I watched this show. And her name's Kelsey. And I was like, Kelsey, I think I want to be a wrestler. And she was like, hey, like, come on the fuck on. Okay.

And I was like, no, I'm serious. They get to travel. They get to entertain. They are actual athletes. Like, they're cool at hell. And like, what's wrong with that? Like, that's so cool. And she was like, come on.

So fast forward like three years, randomly, I learned that. So our mayor in Knox County is Kane, like the wrestler Kane. That's so badass. Long lost brother of The Undertaker. Yes, thank you. His debut was hell in a cell with Sean Michaels and Undertaker. It was one of my favorite matches. Sorry, continue.

We have a true, like, wrestling guy here. I'm sorry. So Kane, Glenn Jacobs, and Tom Pritchard. So Tom Pritchard is the brother of Bruteman. Bruce Pritchard, who is, like, if you watch any, even if you go today and look on any of the specials that are out, that, like, you'll see Bruce Pritchard talking. Tom Pritchard is, like, the guy that trained, like, the rock, the miss, like, all of them. And so anyways, and I didn't know who they were at the time. I got to this through Total Divas, okay? So let's just keep that in mind.

So anyways, I learned that they were opening a wrestling school in Knoxville. As they should, you. Yeah, and I guess, like, apparently Glenn had been asking Dr. Tom to do this, like, forever. And Dr. Tom was like, I'm not doing it because there was like stuff that went down with WWE. I don't know the whole thing. Anyways, whatever. So I learn about this wrestling school. It's like December 25th. Okay?

And this wrestling school is starting like January 3rd. I'm teaching math full time. Like legit. Okay. And so I email. Hi. As people share you. This is how you people email.

I'm like, hi. I'm Haley Jones. I'm 35 and I want to be a wrestler. And Dr. Tom was like, well, actually his. assistant was like, whoa, we need to come meet you. And the Dr. Tom was like, you're in. So I did it. I went to the training. It was 16 weeks, five days a week, four hours a day. Holy shit. Awesome. Plus like cutting promos, like all this. So anyways, my very first day there, Dr. Tom goes to the ring and he's like teaching us like what a bump is. Okay. And I'm telling you this man,

you basically do a handstand and fling your body on the mat. So you land flat so you don't like jack your knock up and you like make as much noise as physically possible without injuring yourself. And he just goes like, and I was like, that's what this is. And I just thought like, I don't think I can do that. What? And that was like my first five minutes there. That's just the first. I know.

Right. Yeah, exactly. Well, that just tells you like what I saw in Total Divas versus like the reality of it is like, it is like it is very physical. Oh yeah. So anyways, that was my very first five minutes. minutes in wrestling training. And obviously now, like, I could take a bump now. I'm not in wrestling ring shape in the sense of that. Because at first, your body is like, God, the first like two weeks,

you're like, like, I can't, I can't do this. And then eventually it's like when you hit the ropes, you're so bruised at first and then you just get used to it. I was going to say the ropes are way harder. We're worse in the bumps. Totally. So anyways, that was just, and then, you know, you eventually do like hurricane Rana's and like all this stuff. And you're like, oh my God. Like, you know, it's you know you put people on a headlock and flip them out like it's just crazy but yeah but it's it's cool because i i've always said well we can go into your your your saga of being a teacher i'm sure you learned far more in the wrestling ring versus in in a classroom can you talk about some of your skepticism teaching yeah just teaching yeah so you know teaching like i wanted to be a lawyer

that's like what i wanted to do okay so i went and took the lsat and i mean i it was a shit show. My professor was like, what were you doing like during the test? And I was like, I don't know, I was nervous. My whole life depended on it.

So I did a horrible job and I had enough classwork to be highly qualified in education in math. And I passed the state test so that made me qualified to be a math teacher. Okay?

You know? So I didn't know what I wanted to do so I thought, okay, well, I'll be a math teacher. Well, I got a job in, it's called Frasier High School and it is a very, like rough place in Memphis and I walked in the first day and I was like I don't know what this is

and it was like tears and tears and horror you know it was bad but what you know the process of that was like I never even liked math and I had had a math teacher in high school to say like you'd be a great teacher so that's when I you know failed to ELSA out for lack of a better word I was like well I guess I'll be a good math teacher then I get a job not knowing and I should have known like looking back so they have like career fairs right well first all nobody wants to be a math teacher okay no it's nobody really wants to do that okay it's not true well you know so anyway basically there's a lot of open math positions okay because there's not you know if you have a math degree like you could go be an engineer somewhere and make a lot more money than

like being a math teacher not that is all about the money but you know that's a whole other conversation Anyways, so they have like career fairs and you go to like cafeteria table to a cafeteria table and you talk to the different like principals. And this principal's like, have you taught before? And I was like, no, ma'am. She's like, what do you, what's your favorite math standard? And I was like, I was like, well, actually, I'm not familiar with the math standards. And then she's like, and I obviously had no idea what I'm doing. I answer all that.

And she goes, you're hired. red fucking flag okay yeah yeah yeah yeah you're hired you're perfect I was like I just literally basically said

I don't know what the hell I'm doing like put me in front of kids you know so anyways I shouldn't have known and like anyways so that all started this the realization that like for those kids that I was teaching

they were in survival mode I mean there was like massive poverty there was just gang stuff going on I mean one day I hear you hear like helicopters and my students were like, oh, we're getting shot at again. And I was like, what? They're like, yeah, this is normal.

And you're just like, um, this is different. Yeah. So anyways, all that to say, here I am trying to be like, this is what an exponential function is. Like, let's solve quadratic equations. Like, but meanwhile. Man, I'm trying to survive. Yeah, exactly. I haven't had a meal in three days, ma'am.

Yeah, exactly. Yes. And here I am like, oh, let's solve equations. And it's like, uh, so that was kind of my first. first dip into this idea of like we're really doing a disservice like we have these kids here with us but we don't even we're not even serving what they need and in a sense you know i do think education is important but also it's like you cannot like overlook like what's happening in a kid's life oh sure you can't like that's not going to be helpful you know so anyway yeah it's it's

that's a complete different podcast but i completely agree there's a sense of this hesitation with a child especially when folks are kind of turning their back on them they always have their devices. That's one vice and then they have the community around them. That's giving them this very dark, you know, revelation of the culture of like, dude, you're on your own. Welcome to the club. And it's just like, well, great.

Now you're exposed to gang violence, gangs. Right. All sorts of, all sorts of things. Yeah. Talk about how you prevented all that. Like, you prevented that lifestyle. You bobbed and weaved. Yeah.

Resilience is your face is right next to the word resilience. Like, talk about a little bit of that and how you inspired. fire folks today. Yeah, I think I just have this. I mean, I think, well, I honestly think that a lot of my resilience comes from, you know, and I have, you know, the massive story of like weight struggle and being 240 pounds. And I think the process of like losing that weight made me resilient in the sense of like that was the first kind of taste of like you don't have to accept the current situation. You know what I mean? And I would did not grow up in like a bad, you know, in poverty or any of that.

I didn't have that story, but I did have, you know, the whole, I think weight journey and weight struggle really actually is what has made me be, like, psychotically resilient? I don't know. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So I just think that was the first taste of, like, put the effort in. And I know that's, like, very simple. I know that life is, like, I get all that. But I'm just saying, like, you know, it's a choice at the end of the day, like, choose a struggle of, like, choose a struggle of, like, how to get out. You know.

Yeah, I kind of know what you mean. I've always been fairly in good shape, but I went through a moment where I ballooned to like 190, almost 200 pounds. I'm 5-7. So you can imagine it was like a little tubby little thing. And I saw myself on camera like, wow, that's not good. But then the moment I lost it all, I dropped like 60, 70 pounds. I was like this tiny little twerp 130 and everything fit on me and everyone just like was

breaking neck. And I, my career sword. I was like, wow. Yeah. I'm not sure if I should be feeling good about this or kind of like cynical or it's like, great. Now that I'm, whatever the good term is. good looking or attractive.

Y'all want to work with me now. Yeah, I know. It's like squinty eyes. Look at us now. Like we put in our dues. We've cut some wrestling promos. Now we're living quite the red life. Talk about your journey podcasting.

Yeah. And folks like looking up to you for like that fuck you attitude. Yeah. I think, I think, well, I think now people. Especially when it comes to trying to sell homes. Oh my gosh.

Yeah. Well, selling homes is. You know what's interesting is like when I started, I thought like the other agents were my enemies. Sure. These are my enemies. And over time, you're like, no, I need you to work with me so we can make this happen. And so that's kind of my mentality when it comes to real estate is like, yeah, we're going to get it done. But also like we don't need to like come in guns ablazing.

Like there's a way to get this done. So it's like pleasant for people and we can actually get to the closing table. But I think also too with real estate, I say I tell my clients a lot, times like I am not pushy until it's time to like yeah turn it on for sure uh because there's moments where like that's not needed and there's other moments where it's like you need to get your shit together like this is this is what we're doing you know so I think that you know that's been I think you know from that perspective and I'm I'm just honest like if your house smells like I'm going to tell you sure like it smells uh and sometimes people don't like that and I'll you know

I'll say it softly like hey I just I don't mean this don't you know what Whatever, just let me tell you something. Your house smells like dog pee, okay? Like, and that's not good. And I think that I'd have a way of like delivery for that, but it's also just like a brutal honesty of like, it's not honesty for like, ugh, like to be mean. It's honesty to like out of like this is we have,

people are going to say that your house smells horrible. Sure. So let's acknowledge that now and like let's address it, you know. Does that a brutal honesty come from not being born raised in Knoxville or your world travels like, like, you know, marathons or in seven different content in seven different days. Like you've got quite the,

the, what's the word I'm looking for here? The adventures of world travel, I feel like when you're experiencing that, you're building some sort of resilience where it's just like, you don't take shit for, you don't take shit from anyone. Yeah. Pretty much.

Well, I think it's just also like, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. Like we're having a conversation, but we're not actually acknowledging the thing that's like in the way. Yeah. So I think that's part of it, is like, okay, well, yeah, we can sell this house. But, like, this is the objections we're going to get.

So, like, let's adjust accordingly rather than, like, let's act like, like, let's cover our eyes and not act like, you know what I mean? So I don't necessarily know where it comes from, but I do, like, you know, when it, like, when you talk about, like, disciplining students, right? Like, I used to be very like, oh, you should listen to me, what? Like, and that is not effective, right? but if a kid is like being an a hole, you can be like, hey man, like, do you see how that could hurt somebody's feelings? Like, and they're like, you know what?

Now, some of them, it's not that easy. I get it. But if you just say like what the brutal truth is, or like, you know, kids can be mean. And you can say like, hey, I worked really hard on this to make this good and I failed. So I am so sorry. You know, like just be brutally honest about what's going on.

Like, what's the elephant in the room? Let's just say what it is. and let's get past it. Right on. You know. Cool. Let's wrap it up with some legacy questions.

We just finished filming your episode for Legacy Makers. What do you feel your legacy is or what would you like your legacy to be? I would like my legacy to be as silly as this is and I'm not there yet. But like I want to like do something like world changing, something that's like such a big impact that, you know,

the world is different. And I know that theoretically by living here and, you know, being on the planet and the butterfly effect, and like whatever, you're technically doing that just because you exist. But I want to do it at like a level, you know what I mean, where it's like I did something that's like,

Haley Jones did that. You know, so, and in terms of like, you know, for me where I feel like I sit in that process is like, I've had so many experiences. I think like all of it, like the dots will eventually connect and I don't really know like what the, I don't know what dot pattern we're drawing quite yet, you know? So, yeah.

I love that. I don't know what kind of dot pattern we're drawing just yet. I always look at the stars. I'm like, I like that pattern. Those are quite cool. Yeah. Right on. So Haley Jones, great name, by the way.

Haley Jones Homes. Yes. Dot com. Yes. Is your main funnel. Yeah. What is your podcast? The podcast is the big orange business podcast.

Yeah. Cool. Anything else we'd like to plug before we wrap up today? Yeah. Just find me on Instagram. That's where I am. Go to Instagram. Okay.

And if you're going to troll me in the comments, I'm not going to answer. But if they do troll you, is there something they should say to get your attention? Oh. like whizzle wazzo. They're like a code word. That way they know that you, they heard the podcast. Oh,

say, what's up, Hazel? Yeah. What's up, Hazel? Because Hazel's my ringmaster. That's my wrestling name.

Really? Yeah, Hazel the ringmaster. Oh, that's right. Hezel the ringmaster. Cool. I was going to have you cut another promo, but we've got that for your episode. So you're going to have to tune in.

And yeah, gosh, such a great episode. It's always fun to have a one degree of separation from Kane. Fun fact, I was, I was Undertaker's neighbor in Austin, Texas. We didn't live, next each other.

I can, I'm like, he's next door, because he had a huge thing before he moved. And he's a literal giant, just like Canis. Yeah, and he's a sweetheart. Yeah, I know, right? He's got a great podcast too, him and his wife. Right on, well, thank you so much for your energy and time. I hope you had a splendid time.

Yes. And yes, that concludes another episode of the Living Your Legacy podcast. This is Haley. I'm Ray, and we are inside success.