I tend to violently recoil from anything with even a whiff of "get rich quick" because I disagree with that mentality entirely. 

What end-game mentality are we looking for/need to set up a profitable deal? 

It may be an old school mentality, but I do understand it even if it doesn't make the most financial sense.

The personal development practices have worked wonders as I am much more strong mentally and have acquired many useful skills.I work at Apple and have made excellent progress moving up in the company.

The IRS rules state that a disqualified party (you, spouse, lineal family, etc. per IRC section 5975) may not benefit from the IRA, nor may you benefit the IRA through the provision of goods or services.The "why" you are inquiring about is that if you are providing free labor to the IRA, you are in effect making undocumented contributions to the IRA and boosting the amount of tax-sheltering as a result.  

My first meeting with the bank gave me a huge boost in confidence and knowledge!

I don't really think anything of any of these rules, for the most part, other than the one I use in my head when I am doing a 5 second mental calculation on whether I might be able to come to terms on a property with a seller - and that number is 1% of my all-in rehabbed property for monthly rent.

And with that extra cash you might be able to use for another piece of real estate, flip, etcAlternatively, many folks will recommend thinking about wholesaling as a way in - I'm not pro/con wholesaling but this is a different beast and business to consider as a way to get familiar with the areas, and investor mentality, etc. 

@Lendo MutambalaThe Key to figure out your path forward is to figure out exactly what your strengths are:For example, do you have a lot of time on your hands, do you have a wealthy investor network or personal access to credit and $$, and are you more interested in Cash flow or short term boosts in capital?

While I realize there is a huge why pay for something mentality here and in the REI world the fact that you've dished out to be a pro says something more, a different mindset, or a different attitude, and like most of the other benefits of being pro have little to no tangible value.