The Blueprint for Scaling: Jaben Makings on Real Estate Mastery, Team Synergy, and the Discipline of Growth Artwork

The VICI Code: Purpose-Driven Profits

Welcome to The VICI Code — the podcast where small business owners stop pretending, start confessing, and finally get what it takes to win financially.

We talk real numbers. Real faith. Real stories of underdogs who got hit hard — by bad decisions, burnout, even bankruptcy — and chose to rise anyway.

I’m Joe Dunaway, founder of VICI Financial, and every week, I sit down with entrepreneurs who’ve walked through fire, fixed their finances, and found purpose in the process.

If you’ve ever felt like the only one who doesn’t “get it” when it comes to business money…
If your story feels too messy, too behind, or too far gone…

You belong here.

Because the comeback isn’t just possible — it’s coded into you.

This is The VICI Code.

Let’s crack it together.

All Episodes

The VICI Code: Purpose-Driven Profits

The Blueprint for Scaling: Jaben Makings on Real Estate Mastery, Team Synergy, and the Discipline of Growth

April 28, 2026 • Joseph Dunaway • Episode 36

0:00 | 26:53

In episode 36 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Jaben Makings, Founder of Onnix Investments, as he shares how responding quickly and setting expectations can become a real competitive advantage in a market shaped by automation and weak follow-through.

Tune in for a conversation that centers on leadership, accountability, and the shift from trying to be the “cool boss” to creating clear expectations, consequences, and a peer-driven culture.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:38] Revenue growth from $100K to $400K.

[00:03:10] Why being the cool boss backfired.

[00:05:28] Negotiation starts with better questions.

[00:07:00] Speed and communication build trust.

[00:08:49] Deal lost by missing buyer follow-up.

[00:10:10] Interview process screens for fit.

[00:13:04] Quitting drinking changed everything.

[00:17:03] Faith and marriage reshaped his why.

[00:19:24] Burnout requires seasons of rest.

[00:21:01] Do right by everybody, always.

[00:22:54] Scaling requires delegation and systems.

[00:24:14] Faith, family, fitness, finance recap.

QUOTES

"Show them what winning actually looks like. Show them what the definition of done is." -Jaben Makings
"The biggest thing investors get wrong ... is not having all the information upfront." -Jaben Makings
"The four pillars, work on each one of them, keep moving them forward, and keep balance." -Joe Dunaway

==========================

Less supplements. More consistency.

AG1 every day.

SHOP HERE:

https://click-myl.ink/2p8hck3h

==========================

SOCIAL MEDIA

Joe Dunaway

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway

Jaben Makings

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaben.makings/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaben-makings-518876199/

Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/profile/JabenMakings

WEBSITE

VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com/

Onnix Investment: https://onnixinvestments.com/

2:38

Revenue growth from $100K to $400K. Why being the cool boss backfired. Negotiation starts with better questions. Speed and communication build trust. Deal lost by missing buyer follow-up. Interview process screens for fit. Quitting drinking changed everything. Faith and marriage reshaped his why. Burnout requires seasons of rest. Do right by everybody, always. Scaling requires delegation and systems. Faith, family, fitness, finance recap.