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Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
What happens when a legendary New Jersey comedian sits down with two completely unfiltered gay hosts over Armenian coffee? Pure comedy chaos. This week we welcomed comedian Mike Marino to Undressed with Pol' and Patrik while we were in New York City, and from the second he walked in, we couldn't stop laughing. Between Mike's quick wit, our nonstop banter, and SnowWhite90210 stealing the spotlight as always, this episode felt like old friends sitting around the kitchen table. We talked about Mike's incredible 35-year career, spending a decade performing sketch comedy on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, touring the world, opening for legendary performers, and why comedians don't make their money from television specials—they make it on the road. Mike also gave us a behind-the-scenes look at his brand-new Amazon Prime comedy special, Back to School with Mike Marino, filmed inside the very high school where his stand-up journey began at just sixteen years old. We loved hearing how the local drama students helped build the set and how every ticket sold benefited the school's drama department. Of course, we couldn't resist talking Hollywood. We swapped stories about Jay Leno, Jon Voight, Jamie Kennedy, Tom Arnold, Frank Stallone, Robert Davi, Dino Martin, Martin Short, Comics Unleashed, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, and even our unforgettable evening sitting next to Jon Voight, Dyan Cannon, and Fran Drescher. Mike also shared hilarious stories about being the "plant" in Jay Leno's audience and how sometimes Jay depended on Mike to rescue jokes live on television. The conversation quickly turned into a comedy masterclass as Mike explained that the funniest material always comes from real life. Family, relationships, getting older, and everyday experiences connect with audiences far more than memorized punchlines. His advice to us? Our timing, chemistry and playful banter could easily become a comedy act of its own! Then it was time for Pol's famous Armenian Coffee Reading. The coffee revealed a beautiful new chapter ahead for Mike. Pol saw a man entering the most authentic and rewarding period of his career, predicting that success would come from embracing who he is today instead of the "New Jersey Bad Boy" persona that first made him famous. The reading also highlighted the deep peace Mike has finally found with his fiancée Heather, along with an unexpected future opportunity that's even bigger than anything he's already accomplished. Naturally, things went completely off the rails as we volunteered to become Mike's "gaybers," debated building an ADU in his backyard, joked about Only Thumbs, and nearly moved ourselves into the house next door in New Jersey. It was heartfelt, hilarious, inspiring and exactly the kind of unfiltered conversation we love sharing with all of you. BEST QUOTE: "I used to be the New Jersey Bad Boy. Now I'm just happy." Subscribe to our audio:linktr.ee/undressedpod Follow Pol Atteu:Instagram: @polatteuTikTok: @polatteuTwitter: @polatteuwww.polatteu.com Follow Patrik Simpson:Instagram: @patriksimpsonTikTok: @patriksimpsonwww.patriksimpson.com Follow SnowWhite90210:Instagram: @snowwhite90210Twitter: @SnowWhite9010www.snowwhite90210.com Watch Gown and Out in Beverly Hills on Prime Video.www.gownandoutinbeverlyhills.com #UndressedPodcast #ArmenianCoffeeReading #SnowWhite90210 Armenian Coffee Reading SnowWhite90210 SnowBubu is a Perfect gift! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At 31, James sat down at a kitchen table with his wife Aida, ran the numbers on the next 30 years, and didn't like what he saw—$200,000 in student loans and a retirement plan neither of them believed in. So they stopped waiting for a change, and built something instead. Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Our guest, James Doren, and wife, Aida, didn't have a trust fund or an obvious path forward. They had a spreadsheet, a private money lender, and an empty space above their garage. This accessory dwelling unit (ADU) solution added 50% value on their equity, wiped out their student loans, and set them on a path that most investors never consider: intentionally shrinking their portfolio from 10 doors to 4. But the deal that surprised them most didn't come from an agent or Zillow. It came from a tenant who knocked on their door with a problem the bank couldn't solve! James breaks down the house hack that started it all, how he convinced a private money lender to fund the build, and the rent-to-own agreement he structured for his tenant that gave both sides exactly what they needed. If you've ever sat at your own kitchen table and wondered if there's a better way…James's story is your proof that there is! In This Episode We Cover How James and Aida used weekly money dates to align on their financial goals and take their first step into real estate The ADU build that created $160K in equity How to approach a private money lender and handle the tough questions Why James intentionally sold 6 properties and why owning fewer doors actually made him more money! The rent-to-own agreement a tenant brought to them: how it works, what an option fee is, and why it removed all their risk And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-734. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
§LIT - Bewusst Publizieren 16DOKOMI 2026Q&A Buchrecht: Eure Fragen an die Anwältin(Hördauer 54 Minuten)Als Autor, Selfpublisher, Blogger, Influencer oder Verleger ist es wichtig, sich mit rechtlichen Aspekten auseinanderzusetzen, um mögliche Probleme zu vermeiden. Mit etwas Wissen und Vorsicht kann man diesen Herausforderungen erfolgreich begegnen.In diesem Blog werde ich mit Dr. Nadja Kobler einer selbständigen Anwältin, Autorin sowie Lektorin, über die rechtlichen Probleme sprechen, denen man begegnen kann, und wie man ihnen vorbeugen oder mit ihnen umgehen kann, falls sie bereits aufgetreten sind. In diesem Sinn werden wir regelmäßig Probleme diskutieren und nach Lösungen suchen.Ihr könnt uns auch Themen vorschlagen, die euch interessieren und über die ich mit Nadja sprechen kann. Wir sind auch daran interessiert, von euren Erfahrungen zu hören und sie in unseren Sendungen zu diskutieren.Hier sind einige der Themen, über die wir demnächst sprechen möchten:Ist es ok, ein Buch mit Hilfe von Künstlicher Intelligenz zu schreiben?Kann ich jeden Verlagsvertrag bedenkenlos unterschreiben?Was ist, wenn das Lektorat mein Werk total „zerstört“? Das Cover „nix is“ und der Satz auch zu wünschen übrig lässt?Rechtliche Aspekte von Self-Publishing , Verlags-Publishing und MischformenEin Buch ist ein Spiegelbild der Realität. Darf es das sein? Was gilt es zu beachten?Wie mache ich eigentlich rechtlich gute Werbung für meine Veröffentlichung?Wie sieht es mit Lesungshonoraren aus und welche Rechnungsmerkmale muss man beachten?Schreibwettbewerbe – sind die nur ein Traum oder kann man wirklich erfolgreich sein?Wie gestaltet man seinen eigenen Web-Auftritt, vor allem: was muss ins Impressum und in die Datenschutzerklärung?Was tun bei negativen Rezensionen oder gar Abmahnungen?Coaching und Weiterbildung – worauf sollte ich achten?Manchmal endet jedoch alles im Streit und man möchte den Rückzug aus einem Vertrag antreten. Da ist es wichtig zu wissen, wie man am besten vorgeht.An wen wendet man sich bei einer Abmahnung und wie reagiert man darauf?ACHTUNG: Diese Sendung ersetzt keine persönliche Rechtsberatung!VertragsbeendigungAbmahnungenDOKOMI 2026 Q&ADu würdest gern die bisherigen Folgen hören, dann schau doch mal hierhin.Dr. Nadja Kobler lebt mit Ehemann, Sohn, Büchern, Texten und tausenden noch ungeschriebenen Wörtern im Bonner Umland. 2024 feiert sie das zwanzigjährige Bestehen ihrer Rechtsanwaltskanzlei, zu der seit rund fünfzehn Jahren auch ein breitgefächertes Lektoratsangebot gehört. Die gelernte Bankkauffrau und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin in der qualitativen Sozialforschung publiziert auch selber gerne: seit 2006 Schul- und Fachbücher, dazu Online-Kurse und inzwischen auch belletristische Werke. Die laienzugewandte Wissensvermittlung, am besten mit einer Prise Humor versehen, ist ihr ein wichtiges Anliegen, für das sie schon Mal "Torten und Schnittchen" oder auch "den gefährlichsten Kaffee des Rechtswesens"Dr. rer. nat. biol. Uwe Kullnick, ist Neurophysiologe und seit 2012 als freier Schriftsteller und Journalist tätig. Zwischen 2014 und 2019 war er Vorsitzender beim Freien Deutschen Autorenverband Bayern (FDA). Außerdem war er von 2015 bis 2017 Präsident des FDA-Bundesverbandes. Er ist Autor und Herausgeber zahlreicher Bücher. Seit 2015 leitet er das Literatur (Podcast) Radio Hörbahn (früher Literatur Radio Bayern). Er lebt seit 2000 in München. Wenn dir die Sendung gefallen hat, hör doch mal hier hinein.Komm doch mal zu unseren Live-Sendungen in Schwabing oder im Gasteig.technische Bearbeitung, Redaktion und Realisation: Uwe Kullnick
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
Leander Sharlockens joins us to discuss his new book about the US Men's National Team, The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts, and we trace the uneven history of the U.S. men's national team, from its early struggles and the 1950 win over England through the long period when the programme was underfunded and disorganised to today's hopes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClubBuy The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9780593653876UK Amazon Link: https://amzn.eu/d/0el47ixpVisit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub0:00 Introduction to U.S. Soccer3:17 Title IX's Soccer Boom6:19 From Glory to Collapse7:34 Team America Disaster10:28 Youth Soccer and Dropout11:51 A Country, Not a Nation13:53 Europe Beckons American Players16:33 Adu's Rise and Fall17:56 Choosing the Book's Profiles19:45 The Berhalter Debate21:24 World Cup ExpectationsPatreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClubWatch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_ClubBuy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!UK Link: US Link: Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Using AI to track symptoms, weigh medication options, and advocate. Not a cure, a toolkit. An honest, careful path without handing over the wheel. Summary Health Hats reviewed Melissa Reynolds' book on pregnancy in 2019, and they bonded over the fact that a man had blurbed it. Now she's on to something new: she’s been figuring out how to use AI to manage a body that’s been hard to live in for two decades. The turning point came in a diagnostic unit, alone in the dark with no idea what would happen next. She opened Claude and asked what the odds were. The answer was enough to let her breathe. What follows is one of the more grounded conversations you’ll hear about patients and AI. She tracks her symptoms in a spreadsheet and asks AI to surface what she’s missing, which is how she learned that her fatigue flares two days before her gut does. She brings research to her GP, who welcomes it and smiles. She nods at the gastroenterologist, who warns her off “that ChatGPT thing.” She’s careful about the politics, careful about the safeguards, and clear that this is for driving your own care, not replacing your clinicians. Her advice for anyone curious is refreshingly un-hyped: know what state you’re in, get a buddy if you’re vulnerable, and tell the tool what you actually need. She calls it a powerful toy, used well. Click here to view the printable newsletter. More readable than a transcript. Contents Podcast episode on YouTube Episode Proem Melissa Reynolds and I bonded when she invited me to review her book on pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome in 2019. That still makes us both laugh: a man had written one of the blurbs on the back cover. I thought it was a riot. Melissa thought it made perfect sense because the people who most need to understand what a pregnant body is going through are often the ones standing next to it, trying to help but not quite getting there. Although we follow each other and frequently comment on each other’s posts, our last real conversation was in 2020 about a yoga program she was starting. A few small things from that conversation are still part of my every-other-day stretching and balance routine. I’m drawn to Melissa because she accepts what is, including that hard-to-live-with body, and creates and shares tools for those of us with the same or different diagnoses but similar lived experiences. All for best health. Our friendship has grown virtually, so we can pick up where we left off. This time, I reached out to Melissa after seeing her posts about her exploration of AI. Alone in the dark with a question Health Hats: What lessons are you learning as you use AI? Melissa: It’s funny to say you use AI because it’s hard not to use it now. But I’ve started exploring how AI can support me on my health journey. For a while, I was using it for bits and pieces. Then this gut issue came up. I don’t know if you’ve seen much of the journey, but I suddenly developed severe gut issues. They sent me for stool tests, which I’d never done before, and the results came back abnormally, astronomically high, so they sent me to the hospital. Melissa: They ran all sorts of tests. They rushed me through a colonoscopy, and then I was sitting there on my own in the dark in this hospital room. It’s an ADU unit, so it’s for diagnostic purposes. It’s not a ward. There was no TV, hardly anyone around, and I was quite alone, with no idea what could happen next. Melissa: So, I went into Claude and explained what had happened, and I said I needed to know, statistically, what was likely going on. It talked me through what it could be. That was enough for me to relax and go, okay, that’s cool. Health Hats: Where does it stand now? Melissa: Until a week ago, it looked very likely it was going to be one of those irritable bowel diseases. But right now, we’re completely unclear. I’ve got more specialists to see. But I realized the applications, so I started researching. Deciding to use every tool Melissa: Look, I’ve been sick for 20 years. I’ve been mistreated more than I’ve been well treated, and I’ve lost half my life. A lot of the doctors I saw were, meh. In the last 10 years, I’ve improved my life dramatically, but what upsets me is that I’m still nowhere near normal. That means I was very sick, and most of the doctors I saw were like, meh, even though there were concrete things to treat. They were misdiagnosing me. They were not treating me. Melissa: So I thought I was going to use every tool I had available. I actually told Claude, “Okay, you know my history. We’ve been chatting for a while. Tell me how I can use what you can do better.” The fatigue was signaling two days early Melissa: I do a lot of data analysis in my part-time job, so I thought, let’s get serious about my data analysis. I moved my symptom tracking from a physical book to a spreadsheet. Then I created a prompt where I upload it once a month and say, “Here’s my data. Tell me what you’re noticing that I’m not.” It notices things I don’t. Health Hats: Like what? Melissa: It was the post-exertion malaise flares that I wasn’t quite understanding. Health Hats: Post-exertion malaise. That’s the blowback from overdoing it, the hallmark of ME/CFS and other energy-limiting conditions? Melissa: Yes. It also picked up that when I was having my gut flares, my fatigue would signal a couple of days beforehand. Every time I had a gut flare, my fatigue would worsen beforehand. So, it’s now pretty clear that whatever’s going on with my gut is systemic. It’s part of a larger situation, not just related to my gut. Melissa: The data analysis and the research have been so helpful. I say, do some deep research, and I want you to talk to me about this topic, and it does. But you have to be very clear about what you want it to do. There’s a lot to learn about prompting. It’s very nuanced. Smiling, nodding, and using it anyway Health Hats: How do the clinicians you’re partnering with respond? Are they curious or suspicious? There must be a range of responses. Melissa: It depends. My gastroenterologist keeps saying, “Oh, I hope you’re not using that,” and they always say ChatGPT when they mean AI. So I’m smiling and nodding, but obviously I was. My GP, though, is fantastic. She loves it when I bring her research. She’s engaged. If you’re comfortable with people googling, then AI is just the next step. It’s more efficient than googling. Melissa: And I never go to her and say, “I’ve self-diagnosed myself with this.” It’s more like, “I’ve done some research.” Here’s a practical example. The gastroenterologist suggested a medication, and I don’t feel comfortable taking it. Even though they downplay the interaction with another medication I’m on, I don’t feel comfortable with the overall risk, especially when you’re playing with heart rate and blood pressure. I have low blood pressure and heart rate issues. Melissa: The wonderful thing about AI, compared to what I can do on a hard day, is that it can pull things together. We were talking about this medicine, and it found an alternative, a lower-risk medicine that also supports this other thing. The one thing I don’t want is to end up on loads of medicines and not be sure what’s working. A doctor is surely happy to have me as an informed participant in my care, especially when chronic conditions require patient buy-in. Where the records actually live Health Hats: You’re in New Zealand. I always wonder how the culture and politics around medicine and these tools differ from those here, where it’s a bit of a free-for-all and the guardrails are thin. Melissa: We’re in a very different situation. For a start, we’re a public system, but it’s crumbling. You have the people reliant on it, the people failed by it, and the few who can afford private insurance, which mostly just means you see the same people without being gatekept. We’re very segregated. Each specialty focuses on a single organ. As far as I know, we have one multidisciplinary clinic for long COVID, and it’s in the South Island, so I have no access to it, even though my ME/CFS came on after a viral illness and I’d benefit from exactly that. Melissa: What we do have is one public record that’s stayed with me, and a recent change that allows patients to request any information an organization holds about them. That’s actually how a lot of things changed for me. I got access to my patient portal at 32, and that’s how I found out I’d been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. No one had told me. They’d just written it in there. Health Hats: As opposed to all the times you were misdiagnosed, with both false positives and false negatives. And pulling it all together is the trick. I have a four-pound box of paper from one office, 500 pages, and 291 pages of PDF from another for three months of visits, all out of order and wildly redundant. So much of it is wrong. You start to realize that, at best, it’s grade-D information, and what I put in my journals and spreadsheets is probably the most accurate, which a doctor would never agree to. Melissa: It’s the same here. The onus is still on the patient to gather it all and then use it. That’s a whole other thing, and it’s something I’ve always struggled with. A very powerful toy Health Hats: What words of wisdom do you have for people who are using these tools? Do you want to encourage them or caution them? Melissa: First, think about what state you’re in. If you’re a bit vulnerable, don’t feel confident with technology, or are unsure about any of it, then seek guidance. Have a buddy or a mentor to do it with. Melissa: If you’re like me, data-oriented and logical, deep research is great. But if you’re someone who needs minimal information and more would fry your nervous system, then either don’t do it, ask someone to do it for you, or tell the AI, “I don’t need lots of detail; give me the three key points I can take away.” You can always guide it. Many people use it like they’re talking to someone, which can be useful when you’re working through things. But if you can prompt it well, you’ll get what you need. Melissa: That’s why I’m writing a series of articles. I want to guide people so they can focus on one thing, like how to use their data to get good analysis, because it’s a lot. First, you’ve got to learn how to prompt, then what to put in, then how it works. My articles are trying to make it more accessible. It’s always us, the people who are chronically ill, who are least able to jump on opportunities and make the most of them, and we’re the ones who need it most. But if you’re worried about it or opposed to it, leave it. Health Hats: I’m not a black-and-white person; I’m more nuanced. It helps with some things but not others. One thing I’m struggling with is that it gives me too much to share, and I want to share all that depth. Maybe it’s useful for me, but not for other people. So, I’m learning to set limits. My audience has three minutes or 500 words. Then I can ask more questions. It’s amazing. It’s a toy, in a way. A very powerful toy. Melissa: Thank you so much. I can’t believe it’s been so long. Health Hats: I know. Do we need to make an appointment for another four years? Melissa: No, let’s do six months. Health Hats: Sounds good. See you around the block. Reflection Neither of us is going to be cured, whatever that word even means. But I am living a good life. I am playing music, traveling, and in love. My grandson just turned eighteen and is graduating from high school. Life is good. That is the whole point, really. The point was never the technology. I know my enthusiasm for using Claude turns some people off. A number of you seriously distrust anything with AI in it, and I don’t dismiss that. I’m uneasy too, less about the tool in my hands than about the AI-industrial complex behind it, the money, power, and momentum, something like splitting the atom: enormous force, no guarantee of where it gets pointed. And yet here I am, using Claude and Claude Cowork to cut the forty to sixty hours I spend on each episode down to about twenty. I’ll share how in future episodes. I hold the worry and use the tools anyway. The point is deciding to drive our own train and being glad to have one more tool in the cab. A tool, a toy used best by someone who knows their own mind and keeps both hands on the wheel. Referenced in episode Melissa’s Substack Melissa’s book on pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome Melissa’s yoga program Melissa’s book: Fibromyalgia Won’t Win: Learning, Loving and Living with Chronic Pain and Fatigue (Melissa vs Fibromyalgia The Collection), New Zealand’s Right to Records. Please comment and ask questions: at the comment section at the bottom of the show notes on LinkedIn via email YouTube channel DM on Instagram, TikTok to @healthhats Substack Patreon Production Team Kayla Nelson: Web and Social Media Coach, Dissemination, Help Desk Leon van Leeuwen: editing and site management Oscar van Leeuwen: video editing Julia Higgins: Digit marketing therapy Steve Heatherington: Help Desk and podcast production counseling Joey van Leeuwen, Drummer, Composer, and Arranger, provided the music for the intro, outro, proem, and reflection Claude, Perplexity, Auphonic, Descript, Grammarly, DaVinci Inspired by and Grateful to: Photo Credits Related episodes from Health Hats https://health-hats.com/fibromyalgia-managing-pain-doing-the-work/ https://health-hats.com/fibro-mama-book-review/ https://health-hats.com/accessible-yoga-honor-your-body/ Artificial Intelligence in Podcast Production Health Hats, the Podcast, utilizes AI tools for production tasks such as editing, transcription, and content suggestions. While AI assists with various aspects, including image creation, most AI suggestions are modified. All creative decisions remain my own, with AI sources referenced as usual. Questions are welcome. Creative Commons Licensing CC BY-NC-SA This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms. Please let me know. dannyhealthhats@gmail.com Material on this site created by others is theirs, and use follows their guidelines. Disclaimer The views and opinions presented in this podcast and publication are solely my responsibility and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®), its Board of Governors, or Methodology Committee. Danny van Leeuwen (Health Hats)
“To be an entrepreneur, you have to be inherently lazy.” RJ Adler joins Start Here to give us the update on WheelPad, a manufacturer of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) based in Wilmington, Vermont. Aside from building ADU's for families around the country, RJ talks about his experience coming from a large family of entrepreneurs, his early ventures as a student at Middlebury College, and why WheelPad is choosing to grow in Vermont. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 565: MOTU 1987 vs MOTU 2026: KC give us a comparison between Masters of the Universe 1987 vs Masters of the Universe 2026 #mastersoftheuniverse #heman #comicsanimefilmentertainment Epiosdio 565: Amos del Universo 1987 vs ADU 2026:KC nos brinda una comparacion de MOTU/Amos del Universo 1987 vs MOTU/ Amos del Universo 2026. #mastersoftheuniverse #heman #comicsanimefilmentertainment
California's housing crisis has pushed families, investors, and homeowners to rethink what housing can look like.In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar sits down with Whitney Hill, co-founder and CEO of SnapADU, to explore how accessory dwelling units, better known as ADUs, are changing the housing landscape across San Diego and beyond.Whitney shares how SnapADU launched during the 2020 shutdown, why California's regulatory changes created a massive opportunity, and how her company has now completed more than 100 detached ADU builds.The conversation covers:• The real drivers behind ADU demand• Why families are embracing multi-generational living• How homeowners are using ADUs for wealth building• The biggest bottlenecks slowing housing development• Why permitting and utility regulations remain a challenge• The future of affordable housing in California• What most people misunderstand about ADUsWhitney also explains why the most successful ADU projects focus on quality of life, thoughtful design, and long-term planning instead of simply maximizing density.If you're interested in affordable housing, real estate investing, urban development, entrepreneurship, or the future of housing policy, this episode delivers practical insight into one of the fastest-growing housing trends in America.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders creating real-world solutions in housing, healthcare, business, and community development.Topics Covered / What You'll LearnWhat an ADU actually isWhy California changed ADU lawsHow Snap ADU grew during COVIDThe economics behind ADU investingWhy multi-generational housing is growingThe biggest construction and permitting bottlenecksHow homeowners use ADUs to offset mortgage costsThe future of housing density in CaliforniaWhy San Diego became a hotspot for ADUsHow thoughtful housing design improves quality of lifeThe hidden complexity behind “simple” ADU buildsHow Whitney Hill built a niche construction companyTimestamps00:00 Intro00:12 Meet Whitney Hill of Snap ADU01:00 How California's ADU law changes created opportunity02:40 The story behind the name Snap ADU03:30 Why San Diego became an ADU hotspot05:10 Who is building ADUs today?06:30 Community concerns around density and parking08:25 Housing demand and city capacity09:45 Why California has embraced ADUs11:00 ADUs as a wealth-building tool12:15 Multi-generational living success stories14:20 The realities of running an ADU construction company16:20 The biggest bottlenecks slowing housing growth17:45 ADU design trends and creative layouts19:15 Whitney Hill on leadership and entrepreneurship21:00 Yale, NYU, and finding her professional niche22:40 Snap ADU's future growth strategy24:30 Can ADUs help affordable housing?26:20 Closing thoughts
The Sacramento County Planning Commission meeting on June 8, 2026, focused on approving development projects in the Vineyard community, a new disguised wireless facility in Rio Linda, and a comprehensive, decade-in-the-making update to the county's zoning code. Development and Land Use Approvals The Commission quickly approved two non-contested items in the Vineyard community: Morabi Singh Subdivision: A vesting map and rezone for a property at 9494 Florin Road. The project included minor condition revisions related to public utility easements with SMUD. The Chair noted the project's proximity to a future school site at Dawn and Brendan Natoli Park. Carly Mine Amendment: A use permit and reclamation plan amendment to allow mining on an additional 11 acres at 6875 Eagle's Nest Road. Both Vineyard items passed unanimously without public comment. AT&T Wireless Communication Facility The Commission approved a conditional use permit for a new wireless facility at 8040 16th Street in the Rio Linda/Elverta community. Design and Aesthetics: To address community concerns about aesthetics, the 55-foot cell tower is disguised as a water tank made of reinforced fiber plastic (RFP) to allow signal transparency. Coverage and Capacity: The tower fills a significant coverage gap and includes "FirstNet" capabilities for first responders. While the current design accommodates two carriers, staff noted that by right, the applicant could increase the height by up to 20 feet in the future to allow for more collocation. Public Feedback: While the local Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC) supported the project, some residents expressed concerns about the tower's proximity to their homes and its visual impact. 2023 Zoning Code Update A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to recommending a massive update to Chapters 1-7 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code. This update, the most substantial since 2015, includes 134 amendments based on a decade of stakeholder feedback. Key Changes Include: Residential Improvements: Increasing the allowed height for accessory structures (like boat or RV storage) to 24 feet and modernizing "home occupation" rules to account for contemporary "side hustles." Business Streamlining: Reducing barriers for small tutoring/testing centers, permitting arcades by right, and renaming tattoo shops to "body art facilities" with lower hearing body requirements. Temporary Uses: Expanding allowances for food trucks on private property and allowing large shopping centers (15+ acres) to host temporary events for up to 30 days per year. Agricultural Support: Allowing commercial vehicle storage on agricultural sites of at least 20 acres to support farm operations. State Mandates: Implementing "express processing" for state and federal mandates (such as housing and ADU laws) to bypass lengthy CPAC reviews while still providing advanced public notice. Commissioners emphasized the need for balanced enforcement, particularly regarding mobile food vendors and home-based "microenterprise" kitchens, to ensure they do not unfairly disadvantage traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants. Director's Report and Future Items Planning Director Todd Smith highlighted several upcoming high-profile items: Crowing Fowl Ordinance: Moving to the Board of Supervisors following collaborative meetings with the Hmong community. Upper Westside Specific Plan: Scheduled for a major Board hearing on June 16, 2026. Upcoming Appeals: Future agendas will include appeals regarding a temporary use permit denial and the Ezaron parcel map. The meeting adjourned at 6:32 p.m.
Chicago may be one of the best real estate investing markets in the country…But if you don't understand building permits, zoning, ADUs, city inspections, and violations, your project can go sideways FAST.In this episode, we dive into one of the most important conversations for Chicago real estate investors—especially those working on:
Send us Fan MailA customer walks onto your site dreaming about an ADU or tiny home, then leaves because the process feels unclear, risky, or impossible to price. We want to fix that gap. From Metropolis, Illinois, we're joined by Till Buch, co-founder of Tiny Easy in Auckland, New Zealand, to talk about what happens when sheds, tiny homes, park models, and modular homes start competing for the same buyer attention and the same backyard.We dig into how a 3D configurator changes the sales conversation. Till breaks down why tiny home shoppers need a guided experience instead of unlimited design freedom: pre-designed models that stay buildable, options that don't overwhelm, and a step-by-step flow that mirrors a real consultative sales process. We also cover the practical outputs builders need to move a deal forward: realistic renders, walkthroughs, proposal documents, PDF plans, and material takeoffs that make it easier to hand off the concept to drafting, engineering, and local code requirements.Then we zoom out to the tiny home movement itself. Till explains the three big demand drivers he sees across markets: first-time buyers priced out of traditional housing, older homeowners downsizing, and short-term rental operators chasing higher ROI with micro-resort style stays. We close with what's trending in the US right now, especially park models and ADUs, and how shed businesses can add a second product line without losing focus on the core.If you get value from these industry deep dives, subscribe to the Shed Geek Podcast, share this with a builder friend, and leave a review so more shed and portable building pros can find the show.For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.Would you like to receive our weekly newsletter? Sign up on our website: shedgeek.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.This episodes Sponsors:Studio Sponsor: Shed Geek MarketingCardinal LeasingIFABIdentigrow
In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius explores why most project budgets are inaccurate and how to create realistic estimates for construction projects, especially in Southern California. He emphasizes the importance of scope clarity, understanding cost layers, and early planning to avoid costly mistakes.He breaks down:Why most project budgets are inaccurateThe importance of scope clarity in budgetingUnderstanding the layers of construction costsThe role of soft costs and contingencyHow to define your project scope effectivelyIf you're planning a kitchen remodel, addition, ADU, or small commercial tenant improvement in Southern California, this episode provides foundational insight to help you develop your project budget.Before You Build Guidebook DownloadLYNESIf you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gābl Media.Spaces Podcast Spaces Podcast websiteLYNES // Gābl MediaAll rights reserved
Episode 131 - Winter Storms - Avoiding Contractor Fraud with Jon Grishpul Co-CEO of Maxable, an industry-leading ADU design, build and management platform guiding homeowners through their projects from start to finish.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only. The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees. We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.
Santiago Audisio, secretario general de ADU, explica los motivos detrás de las medidas de fuerza en la Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Ante la negativa del Gobierno a aplicar la ley de financiamiento, Audisio advierte sobre la crítica situación salarial que atraviesa el sector: "Hemos perdido un 50% de nuestra capacidad adquisitiva... el 70% de la docencia está por debajo de la línea de pobreza".
Three years into a Denver luxury redevelopment, Paul DeSalvo knows what real estate development mistakes actually cost. Paul, a Denver real estate investor and broker, is back to walk through every one of them. In this episode, Paul returns to update host Chris Lopez on a sweeping redevelopment in Berkeley, Denver — a 1902 Victorian transformed into a 5,500 sq ft, 6 bed/6 bath luxury home with an 850 sq ft ADU and 3-car garage. He shares what went well, what hit hard, and what every investor should know before breaking ground on a project like this. The budget surprises alone tell the story. A foundation that needed a full rebuild added $75,000 to the project. An asbestos mass spill ran $30,000. Denver’s Affordable Housing fee — charged on any addition over 400 sq ft — came in at $25,000, a cost neither Paul nor his GC had flagged. A new water line tap added another $12,000. Combined with items left off the original budget entirely and inflation across lumber, drywall, and appliances, the project pushed well past the original estimate. The contractor selection story is the most instructive of all the real estate development mistakes covered in this episode. Paul and Val interviewed five or six GCs. Most bids came back between $1.8M and $2.1M. One came back at $1.2M. They went with the low bid. That contractor’s experience turned out to be primarily remodels and pop-tops — not ground-up luxury construction. By the time the project wrapped, costs had converged right where the other bids landed. Paul walks through exactly what he would look for differently and why verifying the type of experience matters as much as verifying the experience itself. In this Episode: Why the lowest GC bid on a luxury build is often the most expensive choice How to verify contractor experience by project type, not just project count The Denver Affordable Housing fee and how it catches smaller developers off guard What scope creep actually looks like on a high-end redevelopment and how to manage it Why architect and builder coordination failures cost more than either party’s mistakes alone What has gone well on the project and what Paul is genuinely proud of Paul’s honest take on whether he’d take on a project like this again If you are planning a luxury build or any ground-up construction project in Denver, this episode is a practical field guide from someone who has lived every one of these real estate development mistakes and made it to the other side. Watch the Youtube Video https://youtu.be/C0VvCr-O_7w Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and project recap — Paul returns to update on his Berkeley, Denver build 01:15 – Off-market acquisition — how a neighbor relationship led to buying the 1902 Victorian 03:26 – Full project scope — 5,500 sq ft total, 6 bed/6 bath, ADU, 3-car garage, five fireplaces 06:30 – GC selection process — interviewing five or six contractors and how they made the call 07:49 – The experience gap — why pop-top and remodel experience doesn’t carry over to ground-up luxury builds 12:02 – Budget blind spots — items left off entirely, inflation, and the real cost of scope creep 15:15 – Denver’s Affordable Housing fee — an unexpected $25,000 charge tied to additions over 400 sq ft 16:50 – Asbestos mass spill and foundation rebuild — $30,000 and $75,000 in back-to-back surprises 18:24– What has gone well — design outcome, ADU pace, and finishes staying on schedule 19:44 – Advice for luxury builds — why low bid outliers deserve the most scrutiny, not the least 23:40 – Architect and builder coordination — why cohesive team relationships are as important as individual credentials 24:46– Paul’s outlook on future development — honest take on whether he’d do it again Links in Podcast Connect with Paul DeSalvo firehousehomes@gmail.com Fire on FIRE Investing https://fireonfire.org/ Paul co-founded Fire on FIRE Investing alongside fellow firefighter Jamin to help first responders build financial security through real estate. The organization offers one-on-one consultations and education covering single-family rentals, house hacking, multifamily, 1031 exchanges, and passive investing opportunities.
Are ADUs the next real estate gold rush… or just another permit-powered headache? Accessory Dwelling Units are moving from California trend to national real estate play. Gil Vaisman of Go ADU breaks down why homeowners are turning garages, basements, and backyards into rental income, family housing, and long-term property value. But this is not just about tiny houses with cute countertops. It is about zoning laws, contractor cash flow, city delays, bad deposits, fair pricing, and why building anything still feels like wrestling a fax machine with a clipboard.
In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius highlights how one of the biggest mistakes owners make happens before they hire a contractor, define a budget, or submit plans: they don't fully understand what kind of project they're actually taking on. And that misunderstanding can dramatically impact cost, timeline, permitting, engineering, and overall project complexity.He breaks down the critical differences between:RenovationsRemodelsAdditionsADUsRebuilds…and explains why these categories are not interchangeable.Drawing from more than 20 years of experience, Dimitrius walks through the hidden structural, seismic, permitting, and systems implications that owners often overlook—especially when projects move beyond cosmetic updates into layout changes, structural modifications, or additions.If you're planning a kitchen remodel, addition, ADU, or small commercial tenant improvement in Southern California, this episode provides foundational clarity before you begin spending money or hiring a team.Before You Build Guidebook DownloadIf you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gābl Media.Spaces Podcast Spaces Podcast websiteLYNES // Gābl MediaAll rights reserved
Core ConceptGraham's move: He's selling all his LA residential rentals because of:Heavy regulation (3-year eviction moratorium, rent freezes)Extreme bureaucracy (permits, inspectors, delays)Weak returns (~4–5% on equity) vs. other investmentsADU “nightmare” example:Built an ADU and got stuck in:Multiple failed inspections with shifting requirementsForced $22k sewer repair, sidewalk and tree-root work60–75+ day delays for permits and tenant noticesResult: months of delay, extra cost, lost tenant, high stress.Tyler's core thesis:This story doesn't kill real estate; it kills small residential in high-reg markets.It actually makes the case for commercial real estate:Fewer tenant-protection politicsMore contract-driven, business tenantsBetter return vs. headache trade-off, especially in middle-market CRE deals.
In Episode 202, Scott Piehler's topics include: Alameda Hotel Apartments hit the market. The Planning Board examines ADU to Condo conversion. A look ahead to next week's City Council meeting. SF Bay Ferry set to increase rates. The Clement/Tilden project continues. Get to know the birds on the beach. A beloved Park Street retailer set to reopen. Plus, events for your weekend. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • TikTok • YouTube • Apple News •
Seif El-Sahly walked away from a comfortable, six-figure engineering career working in -50 degree northern mines to start a construction and renovation business in Hamilton, Ontario. Today, New Fort Inc. generates multiple seven figures a year, and Seif is breaking ground on massive 22-unit developments after successfully partnering with Home Depot and shooting a pilot for HGTV.In this episode, Seif sits down with Ryan Atkinson to reveal how he transitioned from a mindset of "known variables" to mastering the unknown world of real estate investing and contracting. He breaks down his exact strategy for capitalizing on the booming ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) and garage conversion market—a niche that is solving the modern housing affordability crisis while generating premium rental income for investors.Whether you're looking to buy your first investment property or scale a massive construction team, Seif delivers a masterclass on failing fast, taking action, and underwriting your deals the right way.
Most people think SB 9 explained means understanding a law. What it actually means is understanding why you might be sitting on $400K in land value and not even know it.My guest Eric Paul Escobar, CEO of Esco Builders, has actually completed an SB 9 lot split in Downey, California. Not theorized it. Not coached about it. Done it. It cost $50,000 and produced a back lot worth $300K to $400K. We break down exactly how that happened and whether it makes sense for you.Here is what we cover:✅ What SB 9 explained really looks like when someone builds it from the ground up, not just how the law reads✅ The difference between an SB 9 unit vs ADU when it comes to appraisals, ARV, and refinancing, and why this matters more than most investors realize✅ The full SB 9 permitting process step by step, surveyor, architect, planning department, civil engineering, county recording, and permits in the right order✅ Why the lot split process steps California investors need to follow are different in every city and why getting that information in writing is non-negotiable✅ How to subdivide land in California using SB 9 with or without a lot split, and which lot types give you the best shot✅ The honest truth about ADU vs duplex investment value when it comes to comparables and what lenders actually look at✅ Why very few people are doing lot split California real estate deals right now and what that means for the investors who are willing to be patient✅ How Senate Bill 9 California real estate law stacks with ADUs to get you up to 4 units on a single family lotThis is not beginner content. But if you are ready to go deeper than ADUs, this is where the real land value is being created right now.
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
Explore the transformative potential of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in real estate, featuring Seth Phillips, a pioneer in ADU development. Learn how ADUs can maximize density, increase property value, and offer societal benefits, with practical insights on design, investment, and future trends. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Have you ever walked through a city and felt, almost physically, that it was too much or not enough? That feeling has a name. Alex Yuen, architect, urbanist, and host of Most Podern, calls it density appetite and it might be the most fundamental idea in urbanism that no one is talking about. From the way Tokyo reinvents itself decade after decade to the way San Francisco has quietly frozen itself in place, the cities we live in are a direct reflection of how much growth we're actually willing to stomach. This conversation unpacks how density works not just as a planning metric but as a deeply personal, political, and cultural force, one that shapes your rent, your commute, your neighborhood, and your quality of life. Whether you're a lifelong city dweller or someone who just moved out to the suburbs, you probably already have a density appetite. You just didn't know what to call it.Read the original essay that sparked the conversation on Alex's Substack, Dust to Density: https://www.dusttodensity.com/p/density-appetiteSubscribe to Most Podern on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podernKeywordsdensity, urban density, density appetite, city planning, housing policy, housing crisis, urbanism, urban design, NIMBY, NIMBYism, urban growth, zoning, ADU, accessory dwelling units, urban metabolism, Tokyo housing, San Francisco housing, Los Angeles housing, built environment, walkability, public transit, housing affordability, mixed-use development, floor area ratio, FAR, population density, city development, city life, suburb vs city, urban planning podcast, urban cultureChapters00:00 Understanding Density Appetite03:02 Density in Urban Environments07:07 Comparing Density Appetite Across Regions10:12 California's Evolving Density Policies11:34 Metabolism of Urban Density14:48 Challenges of Density in American Cities18:27 Cultural Influences on Density Appetite19:33 Cultural Perspectives on Public Spaces21:24 Understanding Urban Density and Infrastructure23:38 The Complexity of Density Appetite25:39 Leadership in Urban Planning27:36 The Role of Architects in Politics28:24 Personal Experiences with Density32:14 Future Directions in Urban Density Discussions
Send us Fan MailSpecial Projects Coordinator Kate Ryan dons her “guest hat” to paint a vivid picture of what to expect at the upcoming State of the City and Community Appreciation Night. We talk about what's next for the Houghton Park and Play, how you can help with mowing safety, give a shout out to animal services, and share how to get pre-approved ADU plans. Plus, we recap the latest council meeting and tee up events like Conversations with Council, Junk in the Trunk, the spring recycling collection event, and the Senior Council Annual Art Show.Show notes: www.kirklandwa.gov/podcast#20260423
Dan reminisces about the glories of raking Hard Tru. Where's the chocolate? The price of tickets. Green Wood Cemetery welcomes Visitors. How to afford a house in California (you'll need an ADU). Prehistoric Dice. Icelandic Hot Dogs. Eleanor Abbott and Candy Land. Gainsborough at the Frick. Credits: Talent: Tamsen Granger and Dan Abuhoff Engineer: Elizabeth Easton Aziz Art: Zeke Abuhoff
Connect with Kyle on Instagram: @theseybothteamRich sits down with Kyle Seyboth, founder and the man building a national ADU franchise, to break down why the ADU space might be one of the biggest real estate opportunities in the country over the next three years.They get into who the ADU is really built for, how to determine highest and best use on any lot, what the full A-to-Z build process looks like from permitting to certificate of occupancy, and why a 400 square foot investor special could be the most underrated cash flow play in real estate right now. If you've been sitting on a property with a big lot and wondering what to do with it, this one's for you. Let's get into it.Join our investor waitlist and stay in the know about our next investor opportunity with Somers Capital: www.somerscapital.com/invest.Want to join our Boutique Hotel Mastermind Community? Book a free strategy call with our team: www.hotelinvesting.com.If you're committed to scaling your personal brand and achieving 7-figure success, it's time to level up with the 7 Figure Creator Mastermind Community. Book your exclusive intro call today at www.the7figurecreator.com and gain access to the strategies that will accelerate your growth. Connect with Rich on Instagram: @rich_somersInterested in joining The 7 Figure Creator Mastermind? Visit www.the7figurecreator.com to book a free intro call.Interested in joining our Boutique Hotel Mastermind? Visit www.somerscapital.com/mastermind to book a free call.
Keith explains how to increase real estate cash flow by appealing and reducing property taxes. Then welcomes high‑energy real estate investor and educator Thach Nguyen. Thach shares his refugee‑to‑multimillionaire story, breaks down his roadmap to retiring with rentals, and explains how ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) are transforming both investor returns and affordable housing—especially in Seattle. Resources: Follow @ThachNguyen on Instagram and all major social platforms. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/602 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments. For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text FAMILY to 66866 Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review" For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript: Keith Weinhold 0:01 Welcome to GRE. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, talking about how to increase your cash flow by obtaining a successful appeal and reduction in your property taxes. Then real estate personality Thatch Nguyen and I discuss mindset and some creative real estate techniques today on get rich education, Keith Weinhold 0:23 the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com Speaker 1 0:57 You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education. Keith Weinhold 1:13 Welcome to GRE from Mount Holly New Jersey to Hollywood, California and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold. This is get rich education, and I'm still not wearing Dockers, and I am in Hollywood, California today. More on that later. Among all the major investment classes when it's bought right real estate is the second safest investment class to bonds. Bonds are the safest among them all. Real estate has the highest returns, so it's the second safest and has the highest returns. And that's why it's our focus on this show. But if you want to be in real estate for two years or less, well, then it's likely best to invest elsewhere, at least with long term rentals, because you need time to defray your transaction cost. And for real estate pays five ways to start compounding. Coming up shortly, it's pretty popular real estate personality Thatch Nguyen. He will be here, and I did not know Thatch until recently, when we were introduced by our mutual friend Scott Saunders. And Scott, who I had on the show here a few years ago, is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in real estate. Well, besides those high return, low risk real estate attributes. Of course, when you own property directly, you also get a big measure of control if you want it. Now, control comes really with that option A lot of times to get involved and make your real estate investing less passive, just an option, because successful real estate can be as simple as buy and hold, but today we're discussing strategies. If you want to get a little hands on, if you so choose, you can attempt a successful appeal of the amount of property tax that you're paying. And of course, every dollar that you lower your property tax is $1 where you increase your income. And this feels like a germane conversation, since tax day in the USA was just last week. Ah, yes, property tax, hmm, it's like a version of the government charges you rent on your own property in perpetuity. That's what it is. And before I get into how to potentially get your property tax lowered, property taxes are under pressure. Some states are still making their serious push to completely eliminate the property tax, namely in Florida, Texas and Indiana. Those are three of the front running states, probably the big three. And I won't get into all of that again, because I devoted an episode segment to that topic a few months back. Others are considering elimination too, Georgia, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, but it's just more talk than anything in those six states. Now, if a state undertook property tax abolition, it would probably only apply to owner occupied property, homeowners or voters, and those property values would soar. But these new comparables, what they could do, in turn, is lift the value of your out of state rental property as well, because you could always sell your investment property to an owner occupant. But in my opinion, no state is going to eliminate the property tax. I mean, sheesh, it's kind of like trying to eliminate gravity. It's just too hard to replace the revenue from elsewhere. Schools, police and fire and infrastructure heavily rely on property tax, so instead, what's realistic is a tax cap, a ceiling on the amount of property tax that you pay, and with an income producing property of course, your tenant essentially pays the property tax for you now, even before buying a property or for one that you already own, the most accurate way you can check the tax amount for your exact address is on the county assessor's website. Keith Weinhold 5:38 The next best places are listing websites like Zillow and Redfin. This is all public information. The way to find a county assessor's website for your property is with a simple four word search. What you should google is the county name, and then the words assessor property search, those are the only four words that you need. And then what if you discover that you're paying more than you are for nearby, similar properties? Oh, well, there we go. That's a sign that you're over paying. You can usually file an appeal form at the same website. And before we talk about how to do it, realize that only about 5% of property owners ever file an appeal, and in a bit, I'll tell you what your percent chance for success is at lowering your property tax, your chances of it being lowered. So if you believe that you have a case for lower property taxes, first, it helps to know what you're arguing. And this is important, it's something that can trip you up. You're actually not arguing that taxes are too high. You're arguing my property is overvalued compared to the market. That's it. That's your basis of contention. Yeah, if you walk in talking about things like fairness or inflation or government spending, then you've already lost the county assessor's office isn't the place for your best rant on how fiat currency is garbage or something like that. Now you might not even have to physically walk in anywhere today. Sometimes you can get your appeal rewarded informally. Other times you go before what's called a Board of Equalization in most places and in person, hearings have become less common. Video calls have become quite a bit more common since the pandemic, but you want to review your property details with them. You want to be sure to point out if there's incorrect square footage or the wrong lot size, or missing depreciation, or condition issues or upgrades that are overstated and even small errors can swing your value by 10s of 1000s of dollars and then, and it's whether this is with rental property or with your own home build your comparables Like an investor, not a homeowner, because this is really where you win or lose. You need three to five strong comparable sales in the same neighborhood, or really close ones that sold recently, ideally within the last six months, and they should be of a similar size and age and condition. And then make adjustments. Inferior comps support a lower value. And we don't just want to cherry pick garbage comps. We want to keep it credible, and then for your best chance of getting your property tax lowered, find your angle, and really this is your leverage point. Most winning appeals hinge on one clear argument, either a condition gap, meaning that your property is worse than the comps are, or it's an argument like market timing, and this is if values have softened since the assessment date, or the income approach for rentals. Therefore it's the value based on noi, not emotion. You could take that track or other external issues like noise or location drawbacks or obsolescence, so only pick one of those four primary arguments here, condition, gap, market timing, the income approach or external issues and document everything. This is really where you separate yourself. You want to show photos and have them dated and be clear and honest. Nothing dramatic there repair estimates or contractor bids, inspection reports, rent rolls or income statements. So you're not telling a story. You're presenting evidence this way, and be sure to package it cleanly. This matters more than you think. Assessors see sloppy appeals all day. So you're going to stand out by being organized and concise, like a one to two page summary and some exhibits, and keeping it professional meaning, no emotional language, so you're making it clean and easy for them to agree with you, and this is the place to be. Calm and not combative. It isn't a debate club. It's the right form to be respectful, stick to facts, not interrupt and not get defensive, because the person across from you, they actually did not set your rate, they didn't set your tax rate, they're evaluating your evidence, and then it's helpful for you to know the likely outcome. You don't need a gigantic win, even a five to 10% reduction, that can mean 1000s saved over your life of owning the property. You want to remember that some jurisdictions are more flexible than others, and if you're denied informally, like just doing it online, then you can often escalate your property a tax appeal to a board review. And this is a long game, not every swing is going to end up in a base hit. Investors have an advantage. If you own rentals, you've really got a stronger argument, because you can use that income based verification like cap rate and noi, you can show actual rent versus market rent, and you can highlight your expenses, and assessors often default to sales comps. So this is how you can shift the frame here. The blunt truth is that when people lose appeals, it's usually because they show up unprepared, or they argue emotionally, or they just don't understand valuation. And so this is one of those rare moments where being methodical is actually better than being smart. 40 to 60% of property tax appeals succeed nationwide, and with professional level prep, you can make that 70 to 80% for a success rate, and the typical result if you win is a 10 to 15% reduction in assessed value. So that can be worth doing. And you know, just like buying your first out of state rental property seems to be the hardest. Making your first property tax appeal seems to be the hardest as well. And there you go a way to reduce your expenses and increase your cash flow. Yes, I am in LA today, West Hollywood, California. Though I do expect to produce some real estate media here. That's not the typical Hollywood type filmmaking that I'm doing, I just happen to be staying in Hollywood, although I do plan to run up to the Hollywood sign and do some fun stuff out at Venice Beach. Later next week, I will be in Las Vegas, and will probably even bring you the show from the Bellagio with a view of the Bellagio fountain. As for this week, let's meet our guest. Keith Weinhold 12:49 This week's guest has an amazingly powerful story. Today. He's quite well known in real estate circles for his high energy in person events, but he came to the United States as a Vietnamese refugee, experienced homelessness early in life, and went on to build a real estate portfolio valued at over $100 million I'm not making light of the fact that he's homeless. Once I started talking about this, he kind of, you know, beat his chest a little bit. He's a high energy, playful guy here, but he's completed more than 1000 real estate projects and transactions through his mentorship program, he's helped 1000s of people build long term Real Estate Wealth with his platform, it's called springboard to wealth, and along the way, he's built a strong audience, with 1.4 million followers on Instagram. Hey, welcome to the show Thatch Nguyen. Thach Nguyen 13:41 I'm honored to be here, my man, I'm honored Keith Weinhold 13:43 to hear, Oh, it's so good to do it Thatch. And before we're done, we'll discuss some actionable tactics. But first, that is just an amazing story to have started from homelessness. I guess I'm most interested to know what you would identify as kind of that turning point from destitution to success. Talk to us about that. Thach Nguyen 14:03 You know, coming from Vietnam, we was a refugee. We left out of the last plane. My dad was a translator for the US Army. Back in the days, military pulled out of South Vietnam during the war, they asked my dad, would you want to leave with us? And so we decided to leave. But of course, my dad, the owner, who actually spoke some bit of English. None of us didn't speak no English. We only had $100 one suitcase for eight of us, gosh, and I was five years old. But if my dad didn't leave, he would have been captured, and then he would have been killed. Because you work for the US government, because it's still, you know, is a communist country, right? And so we left, we came over here, we landed in San Diego, lived in the shelter out there, and then we moved up to Washington State, Seattle, and lived in a shelter there for a few months. And then finally, we lived in a sponsorship house, right, with a guy named Charles Zettler. I graduated from high school in. 88 I went off to fix aviation airplane my two older brother, because they in the aviation business. And then I got a job working for Alaska. But I didn't want to leave to Denver to go work out there, so I decided to stay back. And I went to work at, you know, like, odd job, like at a body shop. I was the dairy manager at a grocery store, like, called Ralph. Was called Safeway, and I was parking car in Chinatown. And I think the pivoting point was, I'm sitting there, and one of my friends says, you know, you would do very well in real estate, yeah, because you have a good energy, you have a good mouthpiece, I think you do well, see, but I didn't hear all that. I heard you get 7% commission checks. Oh, Sign me up. You know what? I think, but I didn't realize quickly, selling real estate, you don't make that kind of money unless you do a lot of volume. I got to real estate. I started doing well in real estate as a agent. But the tipping point, I think, for me, was a mentor named Saul. And Saul said to me, Keith, I know you appreciate this. He said, You can be rich selling real estate for the rest of your life. Yeah, you'll never be wealthy unless you own the real estate, right? And that was the light bulb that came off of me that I need to take the money I make from selling real estate to then Park the money in long term rental. But I didn't quit my real estate. I just bought real estate, rented it, let it ride. And I just kept selling real estate for years. And at the moment I made, the more property I bought. The moment I make, the more property I bought. And then from there, I just start to learn new construction. I start to learn fix and flip. I start to learn about the BRRRR strategy. And then today, you know, we're going to talk more about this. But today, the hot thing is adu and accessory dwelling unit, and that's what I do a lot today is a lot of new construction, a lot of ADUs. Keith Weinhold 16:49 Oh, that's great to hear about your come up. Fetch, yeah, I find it remarkable, too, the amount of people that are in the real estate industry, and they're doing something adjacent to being an investor, which I think is the best place to be. For example, they're a property manager, or they're a mortgage loan officer or the real estate agent, but yet they don't own rental real estate, right? They're so close. How could you not be doing this? Thach Nguyen 17:13 And I say today, because I understand this. Now, if you don't take the active income you make from whatever you do, say, as a real estate agent, then you always trading your time for money for the rest of your life, and you're always on that treadmill and that grind, but you can't get off, because the moment you get off, Keith, you got no income, and you got no passive income either. So you're stuck on this wheel like a hamster that you got to keep running until you old and die. Keith Weinhold 17:40 Well, you know, it's unavoidable to talk about you've got the word mindset on big letters on a hooded sweatshirt that you're wearing right now, so, you know, I think you're touching on it somewhat. But yeah, talk to us more about this mindset and how to break through the barriers. Because most people's connotation with income is merely that they have got to trade their time for dollars. Thach Nguyen 18:01 Of course, you know, mindset is 80% of the result that we want, that we get. Because someone could have a mindset to go, I'm going to be the top real estate agent, and that mindset would drive them to be the top agent for many, many year. But they always trade their time for money so they never get wealthy. I have that mindset because I was selling 100 homes a year in my early 20s. But when Saul said to me, you know one day that when you get into your 40s and your 50s, do you want to keep trading time for money, or do you want to trade your money for time? And see, that's a mindset shift. And of course, who want to be in their 50 Keith with a gun in their head, always trading time for money. And so when I heard that, it shifted the mindset to, you know what, I'm going to make money selling real estate because I need that money, then I'm going to take that money and park it into a rental. So when I get into my 40s and my 50s, I have the option to work or not work, and that was a mindset shift. So owning rental property is a mindset more than a strategy. Keith Weinhold 19:08 I and I think a lot of us, came up with the mindset that, oh, you get wealthy by obtaining a high salary, and then no later, you learn you don't get wealthy through high salaries, especially if wealth equals freedom, you get wealthy through owning assets. So Thatch after you know your homelessness, and you're new to the United States, and you've come up like you described, and you realize that real estate is the way in doing it with a relative amount of passivity, rather than actively being in it as a realtor, you sort of get this roadmap for retiring with rental properties, even from starting at zero like you did. So tell us more about that roadmap to retire with rental properties. Thach Nguyen 19:47 You know, when I started, I had this roadmap where you got to learn what you need to learn about real estate investing, what why do you want to own it? What's the benefit? What would it do for you? At the end of the day, and a lot of that is goals and vision and mindset. For me when I got clear Keith on the knowledge, because I start off with knowledge. And of course, I want to own real estate. But here's the thing I always want to say to people, nobody want to own real estate. Just to own real estate, right? They want to own real estate. So what it would actually do for you. And so for me, I think when I was younger, I was counting the doors, but now I got older and wiser, I count the hours I get to have back. So the mindset for me is that when I got clear what I wanted to do was I wanted, you know, the option of working at work, that I also wanted to retire my mom, my dad, right? And then I also wanted to actually help my kids learn how to do this one day, so that they have the same mindset. So those are the reason I in want to invest in real estate. Of course, have an asset, have a net worth, come along with a secondary so once I understand the knowledge of why I'm doing it, I got this clear vision. I got this horizon. Now I'm inspired to actually go out there and take action. Now the action is, what do I want to buy for me? I started with single family. I started with buying ugly houses and rehabbing and keeping it, and then worked my way into multifamily and apartment building, all doing value add today. So those are my action, right? So I'm inspired. I take the action, I make money doing what I'm doing. But then I asked myself, How many property do I need? But it's not even how many property I need. How much passive income do I need to get out of the rat race? I have the option of working at work. For me, when I was like, 21 years old, I said to myself, I have $30,000 a month in passive income, and I'm debt free. I mean, who couldn't live off 360,000 of you debt free, right? Yeah. So I had to go to go after so many doors based on what the rent is, to accumulate it and then to pay them down so I can be out of the rat race as soon as possible. And once I did that, then I started playing the game accumulation again. So today I have a whole set of properties paid off. That's why I have over 100,000 a month in passive income. But I also got a whole bunch of property paid off yet, which I don't care, because this ought to get paid up by itself anyway. But now I'm playing this game where I'm gonna accumulate more property or trade up at the same time pay down other property I want to pay off, so that when I get into my 60, my 70, a lot of it paid off, and I still got other property. I don't know. I don't mind accumulating, because I love to play the game of real estate. So this is the road map that I you know, that my mentor saw. He's a very wealthy Jewish man that taught me. And today I'm just taking that lived it my own life now I'm just sharing it back to other people Keith Weinhold 22:42 that you said so many interesting things there. I think the most is how you talked about your metric is more outcome based. I think we all think through how many doors we have, and you know, even how much passive income that translates into, but you talked about how many hours you're able to win back way that you can quantify that. Thach Nguyen 23:05 If I ask someone, I go, Hey, how much does it cost you to live personally every month? And most American will probably say, 10,15, 20,000, Max. And I said to them, what have you had that much in passive income? How would you feel? And 99.9% of it were like, my god, that will be amazing. But the problem we all go to the seminar, we see people on stage. They got 100 doors, 200 door. They got 1000 doors. And nobody needs that much to get out of the rat race, right? So I say the most American is, look how much it costs you to live. Look at the lifestyle you live. You have that in passive income, and if you choose to keep working in active income, it's just a cherry on top of the cake. Keith Weinhold 23:47 Yeah, there are so many ways to do it. We talk here about being financially free rather than debt free, and sort of letting leverage and inflation in tenants work to our benefit. But you've got this separate way of doing it. You're listening to get rich education. We're talking with real estate, personality, Thatch Nguyen, more when we come back, including some actionable tactics. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, Keith Weinhold 24:09 let me throw out a simple idea, sometimes doing nothing with your money is actually a decision. Leaving it parked might feel safe, but over time, purchasing power changes. So the conversation isn't about chasing returns, it's about intentionally placing money somewhere. Freedom, family investments works in real estate people use every day. Housing, senior communities, essential properties, things tied to living and not trends. Their freedom notes offering is built for accredited investors looking for structured income backed by real assets, not speculation. I am an investor with them myself. The Freedom team makes themselves available to walk through their approach, structure and operating philosophy so you can ask questions and determine. Alignment before moving forward, while past performance doesn't guarantee future results, their historical operating philosophy has yielded 100% investor payouts backed by over 20 years of experience. If you want clarity before making any moves, book a clarity call@freedomfamilyinvestments.com or text family to 66 866, text the word family to 66 866. Keith Weinhold 25:31 Flock homes helps you retire from real estate and landlording, whether it's one problem property or your whole portfolio through a 721, exchange, deferring your capital gains tax and depreciation recapture. It's a strategy long used by the ultra wealthy. Now Mom and Pop landlords can 721 the residential real estate request your initial valuation, see if your properties qualify@flockhomes.com slash GRE, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre, Caeli Ridge 26:09 this is Ridge lending group's president, Shaylee ridge. Listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and remember, don't quit your Daydream. You Keith, welcome Keith Weinhold 26:27 back to get rich Education. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold we're talking with Thatch win real estate personality, and you know Thatch, on the way up, you've really employed a lot of methods. You're knowledgeable about House hacking and burrs and small multifamily in ADUs. ADUs is something that we haven't talked about here very much. And for those that don't know what that is, we're talking about an accessory dwelling unit, right? Typically, a secondary housing unit on the same lot as a primary residence. You can sort of think of it like a backyard cottage in a lot of cases. So tell us Thatch, what got you into ADUs, Thach Nguyen 27:03 well, Seattle, about five years ago, was one of the first city and state to adapt this Adu, because the biggest problem we have across America is affordable housing, yeah, and a shortage of housing, let alone a shortage of affordable housing. So Seattle came up with, Hey, we will let you. Got built an accessory dwelling unit in the backyard, maximum 800 square feet, but you have to live in the front house to build the back house. Okay? People got excited. They built it so they can rent it in the back. They live in the front house. But then that didn't really solve as much affordable housing for you to buy. It helped with rental. And then about a year, you and a half later, they came over stage shoe to go, you know what? We're gonna allow up to 1000 square feet of adu. But you don't have to live in the front to build the back. Now, people got excited. Investors go, Oh my God, let me go buy a property. Let me go build something. Rent both of these out, right? And then if they want, they could sell the whole entire piece, you know, with somebody, and that was great, but it still wasn't enough. And then about a year you'd have, later, they came up with stage three. They go, You know what? We want to help create more housing for you to buy. So now what we're going to deal with, we're going to actually give people separate APN tax number for the house in the front and the adu in the back, so you can sell off any one of the and by doing that, they value the house as a single family, and they value the back as a single family, so they can comp it like a house, not as a duplex. And that blew the lid off. I mean, in Seattle, that was a game changer. I mean, like builders started coming in, they're buying property. They they building and they selling these. They're making a killer on it. And then show you how much crazy it is. Okay in Seattle, if you buy the house in the front, you gotta get the land the back freak, because it came with the house. We could build 1000 square foot all in it cost us about $400,000 but with a separate parcel number, they comp it as a regular house. So regular houses right about 1000 square feet, they sell for about $700,000 so you build for four is worth seven, and you can actually design it in four months. Get permit, because they have a special line for adu. And then you can build this. You can actually have it all done in one year. So you instantly create massive equity in one deal. But here's a beautiful part of it. In Seattle's expensive city, it's hard to get the 1% rule. You know the 1% rule with, you know 1% of what you pay for a property, a $200,000 house, you get $2,000 for rent with Seattle, a $700,000 house, you get 4000 but the Adu, it only cost us 400,000 but it's worth 700 but my mortgage is based on 400,000 I can write it for four grand, and I meet the 1% rule Now Keith Weinhold 29:52 a way to recent rent to value ratio, right? Thach Nguyen 29:56 So now Adu, they are all. All across America, because two years ago, all the city planners and all the people for other state they came to Seattle for a private, hush, hush meeting to ask Seattle How you guys doing this, and so they can go and copy. So in the last two year, Adu has spread across America like wildfire. Keith Weinhold 30:19 This is great. Tell us more. And of course, it's going to depend on a lot of factors, but tell us more about that cash on cash return that you're getting after stabilization with an adu. Thach Nguyen 30:29 Yeah, it's beautiful. So when you have a property that's worth 700 and it only costs you 400 it has so much equity, the bank will finance 100% of the construction cost, so you don't have to come up with no money. Great. So then if you finance 100% which is 400 right, 400,000 the mortgage only three grand, and you ran for four in Seattle with making positive cash flow with zero down payment. So that's infinite return on your money. Keith Weinhold 30:56 Yes, that's a really beautiful thing to get the infinite return when you don't have any equity left in That's right? Thach Nguyen 31:03 And the thing is, people can do that across America now, but most city right now on stage two, they don't have the APN. But right now, a lot of city right now are on the verge of going from two to three. Right now, I've been going out there buying home that you could actually Burr, make the house in the front. Work make a cash flow. Have the backyard sitting there, and then you can build it anytime. You can build it now, just for the cash flow. Or you can build it when you get the separate APN. So you can get two separate parso You can sell one, keep one. But bottom line is, if I was anybody out there, I'll be buying property. Now, make it work like you would already be buying, but just make sure you get a backyard so you have access to the back. Keith Weinhold 31:46 Okay? So in some situations, using the burr strategy on the primary residence with an adu, burrs, buy, renovate, rent, refinance and repeat, beautiful. Thach Nguyen 31:55 That's what I call the atomic bomb, the burr. Add the adu to the back. Boom. But I'm gonna give your audience something that they can even look forward to. Seattle in November of 2025 this went into stage four. Now in stage four, single family in the front, if the lot's big enough, you can put instead of one, you can put 234, or five property in the back, if the lot's big enough. Keith Weinhold 32:23 Yeah, this is great. I mean, it solves the problem of affordable housing, and it increases the density in a lot of these metro areas. Yes, right, Thatch, it sounds like Seattle's having a good deal of success with the ADUs. How is that when you extrapolate it out nationally, and are there regulatory bottlenecks out there. Thach Nguyen 32:40 The only bottleneck right now is most people right now are in state two, where they can't separate it. So if they buy a burr, they can add the house in the back. They just have to be able to comp it where there's a house and another house in the back. So what they do is they look at two different type of comp. They look at, what does it duplex sell for in the area? They could use that as a comp. Or if this is a 2000 square foot home, and you got another 800 square foot, what's a 2800 square foot home is going for? Because they can be added this to the main house, so they can create the ARV. Does that make sense? Yeah. And the only challenge, challenging is that a city that's new, they have to use comp like duplexes and square foot. It to come up with the ARV. Keith Weinhold 33:23 That's really good. Okay, so Seattle's had these four phases of ADUs, if you will. And then what's next for ADUs? Thach Nguyen 33:30 I think what's gonna happen after phase four is that all these single family one day will all go to multifamily. It's already in multifamily. You got a single family in the front. You can build three in a back. They're all three single family. But technically it's multi unit, right? It's called multi unit, but it's still on single family zoning, because, you know, the bulk of the real estate where I still have land, or the residential, because most commercial, you and I know, they built out on all the land on the lot, so the biggest portion left is the single family. So this is why I've been doing the adu. And I think in the future, Phase Five could be those single family that whole area might get up zoned to multifamily, more density. Keith Weinhold 34:11 Yeah, upzoning, that term for allowing more dense housing term really originated because you're building up vertically, although that doesn't have to be the case every time. And yes, I mean, this is really a great way to solve the affordable housing crunch in the United States. I've seen other cities where single family zoning only was allowed now allows for duplexes. That's a common way to upzone as well and fetch you really often talk about creating affordable housing, like we're discussing here, while you're building wealth. Can you speak to us more about that? You kind of get a give back that way? Thach Nguyen 34:46 Yeah. This is a mindset thing. There's a mindset that says, right? And some people believe it. Some people don't. I love what Zig Ziglar said, Right? Zig. Zig says, If you help enough people get what they want, you eventually get what you want. Yeah. And so. If you go out, then you make enough difference to the world. Take a look at Bill Gates. One day, he probably saying, You know what, I'm going to figure out how to make a computer to actually help your life better, faster, more efficient. And his goal was to do it worldwide. So he solved that problem, and in return, he has massive financial freedom. So for me, real estate isn't just real estate. Real estate what it would do for me as an outcome, real estate also give me an emotional contribution, which is, if I make a difference out there, creating more housing right, to make it more affordable, to make it most of people gonna buy it. What does it do? For me? It will actually fulfill the hierarchy of life, which is contribution. Because once you have money, the only thing that fulfill human being beyond money is life fulfillment. Keith Weinhold 35:48 That's right. I mean, hey, it's a little brash, but in the business world, really no one cares about you until they know how much you can help them. Thach Nguyen 35:56 You got it, brother, you got it right. That's why do you think so many wealthy people do thing in nonprofit world, because at some point it was all about them at the beginning. Now it's about basically giving back. So imagine, on your way going to success, you do both, you make a difference and you benefit also. And it's a more fulfilling journey than a journey just push, push, push and grinding and not taking care of you in the process. Keith Weinhold 36:23 Well, if that's your events, they give you this mentorship platform. And I think you've actually pointed to how mentorship accelerates your own real estate success, even though you're trying to help others first. Thach Nguyen 36:34 Yeah, you know for me, I always knew that the more you learn, the more you earn. And so what? 1995 I met my first mentor, Saul and then I met my other mentor, Mike ferry. And if I'm there, I met Wayne Dyer, who became one of my great mentor, Tony Robbins, Deepak, Chopra, Abraham Hicks, I mean, all these great people, right, that I got exposed to. And today I still have multiple different mentor from fitness mentor, spiritual mentor, business mentor, you know, financial mentor, and they I have regular meeting with these folks, because I want to constantly, always feel I'm growing mentally, emotionally and financially, physically, and I know that the more I learn, the more I can actually make a difference to other people coming behind me Keith Weinhold 37:21 even Michael Jordan had his own team of coaches. Yeah, you see, that's why, that's how we all get better with that, you've really helped so many people with your mentorship, your contribution to the industry. Let our audience know how they can learn more about you. Thach Nguyen 37:36 Yeah, if you gotta go to my Instagram, it's Thatch Nguyen this my name, and you go to YouTube, I drop YouTube every single week. It's my name. Also that's when. And you can find me there. You can find me on Instagram, tik, Tok, Facebook, everywhere. That's where I inspire and empower people all over the world about real estate and mindset. Keith Weinhold 37:54 If that's before, I ask you if you have any last thoughts as you look him up, it's spelled T, H, A, C, H N, G, u, y, e n, fetch. Let us know if you have any closing thoughts. Thach Nguyen 38:04 Yeah, this has been on my mind lately a lot. If you want to be successful at anything, you got to get single minded focus. And I remember when I was in Tony Robbins training, we used to do fire walk a lot. And when you are doing fire walk, you have to get single minded focus. And the only thing that you will focus on is perfect health, perfect health, perfect health. As you walk in across five feet, six feet, seven feet, and you have to really stay focused on perfect health, perfect health, perfect health, perfect health. And if you don't, and I've seen what, people lost their concentration and they burn their feet halfway through. But I also see people so powerful where they can walk halfway stop, bend down, pick up a coal and keep walking. Don't burn because they really focus on single minded focus. So I want to say to everybody, make sure you clear on where you want to buy, what you want to buy, and then once you know where you want to buy, what you want to buy, get focused on your main job is to figure out how to find deals every day, because that's your main job. If you can find deal, you solve all of your personal problem. Keith Weinhold 39:15 I am so with you on the focus of concentration, because diversification is a word that we're fed, and there's something to be said for that. But if you want greatness in anything, you really need to double down and focus. It's sort of like Andrew Carnegie said, put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. Yeah. Well, that's when this has been great. It's been good to have you here on the show. Thach Nguyen 39:35 I appreciate everybody we talk to y'all soon. Peace out. Keith Weinhold 39:44 Yeah, good energy from Thatch Nguyen. He's based in Seattle. When you don't live in an investor advantage area, you have to get creative or scrappy, and he's doing it well, using ADUs and a lot of value add if you're merely investing. Investing on the side, well, then you're probably better off with a turnkey type investment, something that's not quite so hands on, but if you're devoted full time to real estate, then you really have some ideas there that you might want to pick up on. He wore a sweatshirt that says mindset on it during our chat. I like that. I mean, real estate investing isn't all about mindset, but that's surely where it begins for the production team here at GRE that's our sound engineer, bedroom Jampa, who has edited every single episode since 2014 QC and show notes, Brenda Almedares, video lead, brendawali strategy, talimagal, video editor, seroza, KC, and producer me, we'll run it back next week for you. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream. Speaker 4 40:50 Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively. Keith Weinhold 41:18 The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building get richeducation.com
SummaryIn this episode I'm joined by Gil Vaisman. He's the founder of GoADU, a construction company focused on building accessory dwelling units.We explore how he went from a 15-year career in film editing to building a construction business that helps homeowners unlock equity and create new living spaces. What started out as a personal project in his own backyard turned into a growing business built through trial, error, and constant iteration.Gil shares how he tested his way into the market, from helping friends navigate permitting to evolving into a guaranteed fixed pricing model. We also dig into how he qualifies customers, avoids costly mistakes, and thinks about what to test next in an industry that's rapidly changing.If you're trying to turn a personal pain point into something scalable, this episode is a great look at how testing can lead to a viable business.Enjoy my conversation with Gil Vaisman.TakeawaysGreat businesses often start as personal pain points - Gil's ADU company emerged from building one in his own backyard and helping friends navigate the same confusing process. Transferable skills matter more than industry experience - His background in film production translated directly into construction, both require coordination, budgeting, timelines, and managing complex teams. Early traction came from education, not selling - In the beginning, most customers didn't even know what an ADU was, growth required teaching the market before capturing it. Trial and error built the real expertise - Navigating difficult permitting processes and making costly mistakes early on became the foundation for a repeatable, refined system. Pre-qualification is critical in complex services - Gil now asks 20–25 upfront questions before taking on a client, ensuring alignment and reducing downstream risk. Competing on price is a starting point, not a strategy - The business initially won work by being the cheapest, but evolved into a premium, top-20% offering focused on quality and service. A strong value proposition can reduce industry fear - Guaranteed fixed pricing became a key differentiator, directly addressing customer anxiety around hidden costs and change orders. Future innovation is constrained by feasibility, not demand - Customers clearly want faster, cheaper builds (prefab, SIPs), but adoption is limited by execution risk, expertise gaps, and inconsistent quality. Guest LinksGoADU: https://www.goadu.com/Vaisman Construction: https://www.vaismanconstruction.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn't the idea, it's the assumptions behind it that haven't been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.
What happens when a real estate investor hands off 13 midterm rentals for two weeks to a property management team while traveling out of the country?In this episode of Landlord Diaries by Furnished Finder, Katie shares what happened when Zach and Amanda Palmer stepped in to manage her monthly rentals while she was on vacation with her family. They break down the systems, communication, tenant management, and operational habits that made it possible to keep everything running smoothly across multiple furnished rentals.You'll also hear how Zach and Amanda are building their own midterm rental business, why they chose the MTR strategy for their ADU, how a small furnished rental is helping cover a major portion of their mortgage, and which simple changes increased tenant demand.This episode is packed with practical takeaways for real estate investors, landlords, and hosts who want to scale monthly furnished rentals, improve operations, and make better use of Furnished Finder tools. If you are exploring midterm rentals, monthly rentals, travel nurse housing, ADU investing, self-managing rentals, or Furnished Finder listing strategies, this episode is for you.Timestamps0:00 Welcome to Landlord Diaries, the monthly rentals podcast1:00 Zach and Amanda's real estate investing story and current portfolio1:30 Katie asks them to manage her properties for 2 weeks3:00 The systems behind a smooth midterm rental operation5:45 Are MTR tenant needs different across markets?6:50 Why communication style matters in monthly rentals8:30 First steps to set up a successful midterm rental10:30 How to find the right cleaner for your MTR12:40 Why they bought a property with an ADU17:10 Why the ADU became a midterm rental17:40 How a 400 sq ft ADU covers half the mortgage18:45 The one change that increased tenant demand20:15 Roundtable: biggest game changers in their MTR business23:05 Responsiveness and flexibility win more bookings23:50 Why documenting your setup and using Google Voice helps26:10 Rapid fire real estate lessons and who they trust mostResourcesList Your Property on Furnished Finder:https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-your-property Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listingsTrending Midterm Rental Resources:https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Resources/PMResourcesPalmer Listings on Furnished Finder:https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?id=d559824-4b7c-a58-98a-b8be64Host Katie Lyon's Properties:https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=katie.lyon8Host Kelly Bailey's Properties:https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=Kelly.Bailey13 The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.
Karen & Janet invited their insurance specialist, Denise from Paladin Insurance, back for the entire podcast. Denise will go over what is and isn't covered for home owners on many policies. Topics include, dwelling coverage, insurance for the structure, what costs are covered during and after a crisis... like fire, earthquakes, flooding and more. Denise also tells us about ADU's, garages, outdoor additions like BBQ's, pools and sheds. Other topics include debris removal, dog bites, slip and falls along with the importance of umbrella policies. This is a podcast you will listen to more than once, with Karen, Janet & Denise from Paladin Insurance!
If you own real estate, want to start investing, or have ever wondered what really qualifies as a write-off, this episode is for you. I'm answering real-life questions from my students and breaking down powerful, overlooked strategies that could save you thousands in taxes. From ADU deductions and Airbnb structuring to gifting properties to family—this episode is packed with clarity, compliance tips, and must-know tax moves. In this episode, I'm unpacking questions like: Can you build an ADU and write it off as an office? Are fixer-upper renovations tax deductible for interior designers? Can rental losses offset your day job income? Do property expenses count even if you didn't rent it out yet? Bought your mom a house? Here's how to do it the right way What happens when you open an LLC after you've already bought rental properties? Why your mindset about “refunds” and “losses” might be costing you big time
If you want to increase your revenue, automate your day to day operations and spend more time with your kids, talk to us: http://strsecrets.com/applyIf you want us to review your listing, org chart, pricing or anything related to STR business, join here:➡ https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsMost STR companies obsess over guest reviews.Blue Gems obsesses over owner profitability.And they grew to 180 properties under management doing it.In this episode, recorded live at the Freedom Factory in Beverly, MA, E and Chris sits down with Aidan Groll — co-founder of Blue Gems Management, one of Florida's fastest-growing STR companies. Aidan and his partner JB manage 180+ properties across Orlando and Clearwater Beach with a 36-person team — and grew almost entirely through organic relationships, not paid ads.In this episode Aidan breaks down:- How he went from a corporate accounting job to buying his first duplex in March 2020- How a 400 sq ft backyard ADU made $50K in its first year and convinced him to go all in on STRs- Why Blue Gems puts owners 70% over guests — and how they pitch that to new clients- Their full org chart at 180 units: 14 in maintenance, 7 in guest experience, 3 in sales and more- Why they do ALL maintenance in-house — and why speed was the deciding factor- How they automated 70% of guest communication with AI in the last year- Their 7-day contract-to-live-listing goal and how they hit it consistently- How they choose markets based on regulatory stability — not just cash flow- Why they shut down their podcast and social media for 2+ years to focus on growth- Their plan to reach 350-400 units through acquisitions of smaller operators- The Valley of Disappointment — and why most people quit right before it gets good- Aidan's #1 secret to STR success: patienceThis is a masterclass in building a real, scalable STR management business.---About Aidan Groll:Aidan Groll is the co-founder of Blue Gems Management, an Orlando-based vacation rental management company that has grown to oversee 180+ properties across Florida. Originally a real estate investor with a background in corporate accounting, Aidan and his business partner JB pivoted to short-term rentals in late 2021 — building their own management infrastructure before opening to third-party clients in early 2023. Since then, Blue Gems has scaled to a 36-person team with full in-house maintenance operations, serving property owners across Orlando and Clearwater Beach.Time Stamps:0:00 - intro0:54 - Introducing Aidan Groll and Blue Gems Management1:28 - What Blue Gems Does Differently (Owner-First Philosophy)4:14 - The Real Cost of Building This Business5:08 - Aidan's Origin Story: From Accounting Job to House Hacking in 20207:54 - The $50K ADU That Changed Everything9:10 - Scaling to 180 Properties: How Blue Gems Grew Without Paid Ads10:46 - The Contrarian Take: Why They Don't Chase 5-Star Reviews13:46 - How to Pitch the Owner-First Model to New Clients18:26 - Inside the Org Chart: 36 People, 180 Properties20:08 - Why They Do All Maintenance In-House25:38 - How AI Automated 70% of Guest Communication29:54 - From Signed Contract to Live Listing in 7 Days31:18 - How to Choose Markets Based on Regulatory Stability36:49 - Why Aidan Is Selling His Portfolio to Bet on the Management Company40:41 - The Real Cost of Building This Business43:59 - The Future: 350+ Units and Acquiring Smaller Operators47:15 - Aidan's #1 Secret to STR SuccessConnect with Aidan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aidangroll/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-grollEmail: aidan@bluegems.group
If you want to increase your revenue, automate your day to day operations and spend more time with your kids, talk to us: http://strsecrets.com/applyIf you want us to review your listing, org chart, pricing or anything related to STR business, join here:➡ https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsMost STR companies obsess over guest reviews.Blue Gems obsesses over owner profitability.And they grew to 180 properties under management doing it.In this episode, recorded live at the Freedom Factory in Beverly, MA, E and Chris sits down with Aidan Groll — co-founder of Blue Gems Management, one of Florida's fastest-growing STR companies. Aidan and his partner JB manage 180+ properties across Orlando and Clearwater Beach with a 36-person team — and grew almost entirely through organic relationships, not paid ads.In this episode Aidan breaks down:- How he went from a corporate accounting job to buying his first duplex in March 2020- How a 400 sq ft backyard ADU made $50K in its first year and convinced him to go all in on STRs- Why Blue Gems puts owners 70% over guests — and how they pitch that to new clients- Their full org chart at 180 units: 14 in maintenance, 7 in guest experience, 3 in sales and more- Why they do ALL maintenance in-house — and why speed was the deciding factor- How they automated 70% of guest communication with AI in the last year- Their 7-day contract-to-live-listing goal and how they hit it consistently- How they choose markets based on regulatory stability — not just cash flow- Why they shut down their podcast and social media for 2+ years to focus on growth- Their plan to reach 350-400 units through acquisitions of smaller operators- The Valley of Disappointment — and why most people quit right before it gets good- Aidan's #1 secret to STR success: patienceThis is a masterclass in building a real, scalable STR management business.---About Aidan Groll:Aidan Groll is the co-founder of Blue Gems Management, an Orlando-based vacation rental management company that has grown to oversee 180+ properties across Florida. Originally a real estate investor with a background in corporate accounting, Aidan and his business partner JB pivoted to short-term rentals in late 2021 — building their own management infrastructure before opening to third-party clients in early 2023. Since then, Blue Gems has scaled to a 36-person team with full in-house maintenance operations, serving property owners across Orlando and Clearwater Beach.Time Stamps:0:00 - intro0:54 - Introducing Aidan Groll and Blue Gems Management1:28 - What Blue Gems Does Differently (Owner-First Philosophy)4:14 - The Real Cost of Building This Business5:08 - Aidan's Origin Story: From Accounting Job to House Hacking in 20207:54 - The $50K ADU That Changed Everything9:10 - Scaling to 180 Properties: How Blue Gems Grew Without Paid Ads10:46 - The Contrarian Take: Why They Don't Chase 5-Star Reviews13:46 - How to Pitch the Owner-First Model to New Clients18:26 - Inside the Org Chart: 36 People, 180 Properties20:08 - Why They Do All Maintenance In-House25:38 - How AI Automated 70% of Guest Communication29:54 - From Signed Contract to Live Listing in 7 Days31:18 - How to Choose Markets Based on Regulatory Stability36:49 - Why Aidan Is Selling His Portfolio to Bet on the Management Company40:41 - The Real Cost of Building This Business43:59 - The Future: 350+ Units and Acquiring Smaller Operators47:15 - Aidan's #1 Secret to STR SuccessConnect with Aidan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aidangroll/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-grollEmail: aidan@bluegems.group
Chuck Todd asks the most uncomfortable question in American politics: is the country's current dysfunction a problem that can be resolved at the ballot box, or are we living through a pre-Civil War style pressure buildup where fundamental divisions keep getting papered over rather than addressed? He draws a striking parallel between today's hyperpartisan era — where both parties are simultaneously fighting each other and tearing themselves apart internally — and the post-Jackson period of American politics, when the country flipped back and forth between parties without ever resolving the underlying wound of slavery. He traces the arc from the Compromise of 1850, when Millard Fillmore believed he'd saved the republic, through the repeal of the Missouri Compromise that led to Bleeding Kansas, to James Buchanan handing Abraham Lincoln a country already on fire — and asks whether modern America can heal its divides without mass violence. He closes with Lincoln's insight that you couldn't solve the divide by managing it — but insists it doesn't have to take a hot civil war to resolve America's fractures, even if it increasingly feels like the country still isn't ready to do the hard work of actually turning the page. Then, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — the moderate Democrat, former tech entrepreneur, and Harvard-educated candidate for California governor — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a policy-dense conversation about what's wrong with California governance and how to fix it. Mahan argues that California has enormous resources but isn't delivering better results, and that the best form of resistance to Trumpism isn't performative opposition but good governance that actually improves people's lives. He walks through his record in San Jose — where he prioritized basic dignified shelter over expensive permanent housing and is now leading the state in reducing unsheltered homelessness — and makes the case that expensive housing is fundamentally a public policy failure driven by environmental review processes that needlessly slow construction. On AI, Mahan notes that Silicon Valley's libertarian tech culture has historically disengaged from civic life, but warns that AI is coming fast and California has both the responsibility and the opportunity to set guardrails that could become the national standard — particularly around transparency in government data use and serious law enforcement around data violations. The conversation gets politically candid as they navigate the tensions within the Democratic Party. Mahan argues that California Democrats can't blame anyone else for the state's governance failures, that every year revenue goes up faster than population growth yet outcomes get worse, and that highly organized interest groups end up wielding a veto over meaningful change. He opposes the proposed California billionaire wealth tax — not because he's defending billionaires, he insists, but because taxing the ultra-wealthy needs to happen at the federal level to avoid driving companies out of state — and disagrees with Newsom's handling of Proposition 36, arguing the state should force people into either treatment or jail rather than allowing open drug markets. On California's jungle primary, Mahan dismisses concerns about two Republican candidates advancing as overblown, pushes back on the idea he should run as an independent, and contends that Democrats need to update their platform and make government actually work rather than relying on "resistance warrior" posturing. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the creation of NATO in 1949 and asks whether an alliance built on stability and values can survive a transactional president like Donald Trump, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Reaction to March Madness 03:15 Nats are 2-1! 08:45 Trump orders TSA workers to be paid via executive order 09:45 Both parties are fighting each other, and also infighting 10:45 The house has the hardliners, the senate has the compromisers 11:15 Is the country ready to move on from dysfunction & hyperpartisanship? 13:30 For the 21st century, the country has flipped back & forth between parties 14:15 Similarities to the post-Jackson era of American politics 16:30 Problems and divisions were left unresolved 18:00 The wound over slavery was never healed, pressure kept building 19:00 Fillmore offered the compromise of 1850, thought he saved the republic 20:45 The Missouri Compromise was repealed, led to conflict in Kansas 22:30 Buchanon handed Lincoln a country already on fire 23:15 Can modern America heal its divides without mass violence? 24:15 8 million turned out for No Kings protests 25:45 CPAC was completely different universe compared to No Kings 27:00 Trump’s poll numbers are tanking on multiple issues 27:45 Democrats brand is still worse than Republicans in polls 28:30 We don’t seem to have the leaders we need to turn the page 29:15 The economy is a mess and it’s almost entirely Trump’s fault 30:15 The GOP hasn’t finished its own internal reckoning 31:30 It feels like America still isn’t ready to turn the page yet 32:30 The two parties have two fundamentally different visions for America 35:00 Will 2026 be a paradigm shift, or yet another pendulum swing? 36:00 Lincoln understood you couldn’t solve the divide by managing it 39:00 It doesn’t have to take a hot civil war to solve America’s divides 47:00 Mayor Matt Mahan (San Jose) joins the Chuck ToddCast 48:30 What got you into politics and made you want to run for mayor? 50:30 What are the other Dems in the race missing that you can bring? 51:45 California has a lot of resources but isn’t delivering better results 53:00 San Jose become the place where Palo Alto workers actually live 54:30 Why has San Jose lacked a real urban center? 55:45 Tech sector is very libertarian & didn’t really engage the community 58:15 Concerns that AI is coming quickly & can do both good and harm 59:45 If California puts guardrails on AI, that could become national standard 1:01:00 Government has responsibility to be transparent about AI data use 1:02:30 California has to create framework for AI security, regulation & transparency 1:03:15 The unknown of AI has created fear amongst the American public 1:04:30 The lack of trust in AI is because social media has been such a negative 1:06:00 There needs to be serious law enforcement around data violations 1:07:15 Media literacy & critical thinking need to be taught in public schools 1:08:45 What are you getting right in tackling homelessness in San Jose? 1:09:45 Prioritized basic dignified shelter over expensive permanent housing 1:11:00 San Jose is leading California in solving homelessness 1:12:00 California hasn’t built enough shelter or treatment facilities 1:13:00 Expensive housing is a public policy failure 1:13:45 Why does environmental review have to slow down construction? 1:15:00 Environmental impacts go far beyond just clean air & water 1:15:45 Technology can drastically speed up environmental review 1:17:00 Infill construction permits should be approved/denied in 30 days 1:18:30 Are tenant protection laws sufficient to protect ADU renters? 1:20:00 22% of new housing built in San Jose is ADUs 1:20:30 Are taxes too high in California? 1:21:15 California has one of the most progressive tax structures in the country 1:21:45 Gas tax is one of California’s most regressive, EV owners need to pay 1:23:15 A per vehicle flat fee for both gas & EVs makes the most sense 1:25:00 Every year revenue goes up faster than population w/ worse outcomes 1:26:15 What has Newsom gotten right & wrong? 1:28:30 Disagreed with Newsom on Prop 36 & force either treatment or jail 1:29:30 Highly organized interests end up getting a veto over change 1:31:30 Best form of resistance to Trumpism is good governance 1:32:30 The math problem for Democrats in California’s jungle primary 1:33:15 The concern over two GOP candidates winning is overblown 1:36:15 Voters are skeptical of both parties, why not run as an independent? 1:38:00 Democrats need to update the party platform & make government work 1:39:30 Voters frustrated with Trump gravitate towards “resistance warriors” 1:41:00 California Democrats can’t blame anyone else for California’s governance 1:41:30 Better ways to make tax code fairer than proposed billionaire wealth tax 1:42:30 Taxing the ultra wealthy needs to be done at the federal level 1:43:15 Opposing CA wealth tax isn’t defending billionaires 1:45:45 California’s governor race still shaping up 1:47:30 ToddCast Time Machine April 4th 1949 1:48:15 12 countries met to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 1:49:30 League of Nations didn’t have any binding enforcement mechanisms 1:50:30 Breakthrough came via the Vandenberg Resolution 1:51:30 Article 5 allowed constitutional discretion, made ratification possible 1:52:45 In 1955, West Germany was admitted, but it was uncomfortable 1:53:30 NATO has a simple purpose, deter the Soviet Union 1:54:00 NATO continued to grow eastward 1:56:15 Trump believes NATO should do whatever he wants them to 1:56:45 Trump has made NATO believe America’s help is conditional 1:57:45 Can an alliance built on certainty function in this era? 1:59:00 What happens to Ukraine portends whether NATO can survive 1:59:15 Ask Chuck 1:59:30 Why has job creation stopped being part of our political discourse? 2:03:30 What other points of leverage like the Strait of Hormuz exist in the world? 2:05:30 Trump conflates political asylum with insane asylums? 2:06:30 Democrats' problem less about leaders & instead poor messaging? 2:09:45 A 2/3rds vote in the senate as a check on the pardon power? 2:11:15 Will attorney John Morgan run for governor? 2:07:45 Thoughts of putting all parties on the same primary ballot?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — the moderate Democrat, former tech entrepreneur, and Harvard-educated candidate for California governor — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a policy-dense conversation about what's wrong with California governance and how to fix it. Mahan argues that California has enormous resources but isn't delivering better results, and that the best form of resistance to Trumpism isn't performative opposition but good governance that actually improves people's lives. He walks through his record in San Jose — where he prioritized basic dignified shelter over expensive permanent housing and is now leading the state in reducing unsheltered homelessness — and makes the case that expensive housing is fundamentally a public policy failure driven by environmental review processes that needlessly slow construction. On AI, Mahan notes that Silicon Valley's libertarian tech culture has historically disengaged from civic life, but warns that AI is coming fast and California has both the responsibility and the opportunity to set guardrails that could become the national standard — particularly around transparency in government data use and serious law enforcement around data violations. The conversation gets politically candid as they navigate the tensions within the Democratic Party. Mahan argues that California Democrats can't blame anyone else for the state's governance failures, that every year revenue goes up faster than population growth yet outcomes get worse, and that highly organized interest groups end up wielding a veto over meaningful change. He opposes the proposed California billionaire wealth tax — not because he's defending billionaires, he insists, but because taxing the ultra-wealthy needs to happen at the federal level to avoid driving companies out of state — and disagrees with Newsom's handling of Proposition 36, arguing the state should force people into either treatment or jail rather than allowing open drug markets. On California's jungle primary, Mahan dismisses concerns about two Republican candidates advancing as overblown, pushes back on the idea he should run as an independent, and contends that Democrats need to update their platform and make government actually work rather than relying on "resistance warrior" posturing. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mayor Matt Mahan joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 What got you into politics and made you want to run for mayor? 03:30 What are the other Dems in the race missing that you can bring? 04:45 California has a lot of resources but isn’t delivering better results 06:00 San Jose become the place where Palo Alto workers actually live 07:30 Why has San Jose lacked a real urban center? 08:45 Tech sector is very libertarian & didn’t really engage the community 11:15 Concerns that AI is coming quickly & can do both good and harm 12:45 If California puts guardrails on AI, that could become national standard 14:00 Government has responsibility to be transparent about AI data use 15:30 California has to create framework for AI security, regulation & transparency 16:15 The unknown of AI has created fear amongst the American public 17:30 The lack of trust in AI is because social media has been such a negative 19:00 There needs to be serious law enforcement around data violations 20:15 Media literacy & critical thinking need to be taught in public schools 21:45 What are you getting right in tackling homelessness in San Jose? 22:45 Prioritized basic dignified shelter over expensive permanent housing 24:00 San Jose is leading California in solving homelessness 25:00 California hasn’t built enough shelter or treatment facilities 26:00 Expensive housing is a public policy failure 26:45 Why does environmental review have to slow down construction? 28:00 Environmental impacts go far beyond just clean air & water 28:45 Technology can drastically speed up environmental review 30:00 Infill construction permits should be approved/denied in 30 days 31:30 Are tenant protection laws sufficient to protect ADU renters? 33:00 22% of new housing built in San Jose is ADUs 33:30 Are taxes too high in California? 34:15 California has one of the most progressive tax structures in the country 34:45 Gas tax is one of California’s most regressive, EV owners need to pay 36:15 A per vehicle flat fee for both gas & EVs makes the most sense 38:00 Every year revenue goes up faster than population w/ worse outcomes 39:15 What has Newsom gotten right & wrong? 41:30 Disagreed with Newsom on Prop 36 & force either treatment or jail 42:30 Highly organized interests end up getting a veto over change 44:30 Best form of resistance to Trumpism is good governance 45:30 The math problem for Democrats in California’s jungle primary 46:15 The concern over two GOP candidates winning is overblown 49:15 Voters are skeptical of both parties, why not run as an independent? 51:00 Democrats need to update the party platform & make government work 52:30 Voters frustrated with Trump gravitate towards “resistance warriors” 54:00 California Democrats can’t blame anyone else for California’s governance 54:30 Better ways to make tax code fairer than proposed billionaire wealth tax 55:30 Taxing the ultra wealthy needs to be done at the federal level 56:15 Opposing CA wealth tax isn’t defending billionairesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
Ted speaks with Frank DeFilippis, Builder Channel at Sonos about the history, innovation, and future of wireless audio. Frank explains how Sonos was founded in the early 2000s by engineers who envisioned using home networks to distribute audio throughout a house without traditional wiring. At a time when Wi-Fi was still emerging and streaming services barely existed, Sonos introduced a groundbreaking system that allowed users to control and synchronize music across multiple rooms. The discussion highlights the technological challenges behind creating perfectly synchronized audio across devices, which became the core intellectual property and defining advantage of Sonos. Frank also reflects on the early days of digital music, when consumers were ripping CDs to hard drives and experimenting with services like Napster long before streaming platforms became mainstream. Ted and Frank explore how music shapes everyday life and why audio experiences are so powerful in homes, hospitality environments, and public spaces. They also discuss the opportunity for builders and developers to incorporate integrated audio systems as a standard feature rather than a luxury upgrade. The episode offers insight into innovation in consumer technology, the intersection of design and experience, and the role companies like Sonos play in shaping how people interact with music and sound in their daily lives. TOPICS DISCUSSED 01:10 Introduction & Frank D. Philippis of Sonos 02:20 The Origins of Sonos and the Vision for Wireless Audio 04:30 Early Challenges Launching a Networked Audio Platform 06:45 The First Sonos Products and Multi-Room Audio Control 08:00 How Streaming Changed the Way We Listen to Music 13:45 Innovation vs. Building a Traditional Business 16:00 The Evolution of Wireless Technology in the Home 21:00 Why Audio Matters So Much in Everyday Life 23:15 Bringing Whole-Home Audio to the Mass Market 28:00 Working with Builders, Designers, and the Trade 30:00 How Sonos stays lean and competitive 33:00 Technology Adoption and Keeping it Fun 35:30 Challenges and Patents Ending 38:30 Industry Trends and Opportunities for Builders 40:30 Final Thoughts on Innovation and Audio Experiences CONNECT WITH GUEST Frank DeFilippis Website LinkedIn KEY QUOTES FROM EPISODE "Met Steve Jobs at a math world in the 90s" "Innovate constantly to stay ahead" "Headwinds in the industry drive innovation"
Gil Vaisman turned a side project into a fast growing ADU business and built a team that continues to scale. In this episode, he shares the shift that helped him attract the right clients and avoid deals that go nowhere. He breaks down how leading with pricing changes the entire sales dynamic before the first meeting even happens. Gil also reveals how his approach to competition and partnerships is opening the door for his next stage of growth. In this episode, you will learn: How to choose a business partner who strengthens your company Insights on targeting higher value clients instead of competing on price A different way to think about competitors that creates new opportunities What Gil is doing to expand into new opportunities How to structure your role so you can scale without burning out Listen to the episode to learn more. Resources: Learn more about Go ADU Construction here.
In this episode, we dive into one of the fastest-growing trends in housing: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—and why they're becoming a major opportunity for homeowners, investors, and communities across the Tampa Bay area.Host Jason McIntosh sits down with Scott Bedll of ActionCOACH Tampa Bay and Calin Noonan, Founder of Cask Construction, to break down what ADUs really are, why demand is exploding, and how they can create additional income, multigenerational housing solutions, and increased property value.The conversation covers everything from the business and economic side of ADUs to the practical realities of building them—zoning considerations, construction costs, and how local regulations in the Tampa Bay region are shaping the future of housing density.If you're a homeowner curious about adding an ADU, a real estate professional looking to stay ahead of market trends, or an investor exploring new ways to maximize property potential, this episode provides real insights from industry experts on the front lines.Guests:• Scott Bedll – ActionCOACH Tampa Bay• Calin Noonan – Founder, Cask ConstructionTopics Discussed:• What exactly is an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit)?• Why ADUs are gaining momentum nationwide and in Florida• Zoning and regulatory challenges• Construction considerations and costs• How ADUs can create rental income and long-term property value• The future of housing density and smart developmentWhether you're building wealth through real estate or simply curious about the future of housing, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.
Samuel Pavlovcik of the Pavlovcik Architecture returns to explain opportunities brought by the expanded city-wide Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance! Samuel jumps right in by explaining the process and expectations on obtaining a Zoning Change without leveraging the ADU ordinance! He dives deep on various Zoning and Building Code requirements when looking to build and/or legalize a basement ADU. Samuel breaks down various requirements on coach house ADUs and ground-level commercial ADU conversions. He closes with tips for successful ADU projects and shares top pitfalls to avoid when leveraging the program! If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! ============= Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com ============= Guest: Samuel Pavlovcik, Pavlovcik Architecture Link: Pavlovcik Architecture's Instagram Link: SUCI Ep 97 - Samuel Pavlovcik Link: SUCI Ep 264 - Samuel Pavlovcik Link: Chicago Zoning Map Link: Tom Moore (Zoning Attorney Referral) Link: The Toyota Way (Book Recommendation) Guest Questions: 03:08 Housing Provider Tip - Optimize your rental listings to attract tenants and avoid vacancy! 05:35 Intro to our guest, Samuel Pavlovcik! 06:10 The 101 on Chicago Zoning changes. 13:34 Building Department considerations for legalizing an ADU. 23:03 Easiest ways to improve building efficiency. 23:25 City wide expansion of Chicago's ADU Ordinance. 32:42 Nuances on coach house ADUs. 38:55 Ground-level Commercial vs Basement ADUs! 44:37 Top mistakes when leveraging the ADU program. 46:31 What is your competitive advantage? 49:16 One piece of advice for new investors. 49:28 What do you do for fun? 49:48 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend? 50:00 Local Network Recommendation? 50:57 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Paul Dashevsky. Serial entrepreneur and founder of Maxwell, a platform focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as tiny homes:
Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Also today - if you have been considering doing a renovation or adding an ADU to your home - is now the right time? There's been a general shift in the market. Clark Stinks: Segments 1 & 2 Home Improvement: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: What Is a Solo 401(k) and How Does It Work? - Clark Howard What Is an HSA Account and How Does It Work? - Clark Howard HSA vs FSA: What's the Difference? - Clark Howard Is Now a Good Time To Refinance Your Mortgage? - Clark Howard Clark Howard's Special Rule for Refinancing Your Mortgage Axios: Home Depot flags rising unease among homeowners [The WP] Your backyard could be a home. Here's how to build one. 16 of the Best High-Yield Online Savings Accounts High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) Calculator - Clark Howard Is Your Home Underinsured? - Clark Howard Homeowners Insurance Archives - Clark Howard Clark.com resources: Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com / Ask Clark Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the podcast, we interview investor and nurse Miranda Widmeyer about her first ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) project in California—turning a used tiny home on wheels into a fully permitted, high-cash-flow rental. Miranda shares how she intentionally bought a property with space for an ADU, used a rent-by-the-room strategy in the main house to cover her mortgage, and then found a $40,000 tiny home on Facebook Marketplace, negotiating creative seller financing to avoid overleveraging.She walks through the realities of being the first person in her city to convert a tiny home into an ADU, including months of back-and-forth with the city, the manufacturer, and engineers to satisfy code, secure plans, and work through Insignia and permitting challenges.Miranda breaks down her actual numbers—including utilities and concrete —and her target rental income, which comes in under budget and beats the 2% rule. She also discusses funding the project with a HELOC and extra hospital shifts, the power of problem-solving and not taking “no” for an answer, and how the WIIRE Community helped her lead her team and push the project across the finish line. Resources:Get in touch with Miranda WidmeyerGet all the deets on Miranda's Scrubs2Success Community Simplify how you manage your rentals with TurboTenantGet in touch with Envy Investment GroupMake sure your name is on the list to secure your spot in The WIIRE Community Leave us a review on Apple PodcastsLeave us a review on SpotifyJoin our private Facebook CommunityConnect with us on Instagram
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Michelle Kesil interviews Ron Cunningham, a hard money lender with nearly a decade of experience in the field. Ron discusses the unique aspects of hard money lending, including the types of clients he serves, the flexibility of loan terms, and the common misconceptions surrounding hard money loans. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the loan process, the criteria for qualification, and the benefits of working with a lender who recognizes the complexities of individual financial situations. The conversation also touches on the growing trend of ADU financing and the supportive role of hard money lenders in the real estate market. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Sean Roberts is CEO at Villa Homes specializing in volumetric modular construction in California and Colorado. The products range from backyard ADU solutions to fully detached homes rebuilding from the wildfires in Altadena. On today's show we are talking about the product design features and how the company is scaling.To connect with Sean and to learn more, visit villahomes.com--------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1) iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613) Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com) LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce) YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734) Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso) Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com) **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com) Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital) Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)
Rich sits down with Thach Nguyen – Entrepreneur, Founder of Thach Real Estate Group, Real Estate Broker, Investor, Developer. Thach is the CEO & Founder of Thach Real Estate Group, and principal of Springboard to Wealth. He's a proud ambassador of the American Dream. During his 30 years in the real estate industry, he has built more than 300+ homes , townhouses, and multifamily units and completed over 100+ flips. Thach and his team have assisted more than 2,500+ families to create their own American Dream of home ownership, ranking him in the Top 1% of all real estate professionals nationwide.Rich and Thach start off by discussing Thach's experience in Newport Beach, Thach's love for Seattle, Thach's three person team, Thach's childhood, how Thach went from a valet to a realtor, off market deals and rejections, Thach's drive and his first deal, passive income, the pathway to $1 billion, and why people don't get into real estate.They then reflect on deals on the west coast, Rich's first property, being bullish on San Diego and Seattle, investing in the midwest, the first deal and excuses not to invest, the best asset class in real estate right now, and the ADU game.Lastly, they talk about townhomes in Seattle, Rich's boutique hotel in San Diego, how to get started in real estate in 2024, licensing in San Diego, the new 1033 law in California, affordable housing in the US, renting vs living, cashflow and compounding appreciation, teaching kids the value of money, social media and content creation, short and long form content, when to start making content, the public school system, Thach's cars, when to jump into real estate, and owning 5 rental properties.Connect with Thach on Instagram: @thachnguyenSomers Capital Invest AD (Jan 2026) Join our investor waitlist and stay in the know about our next investor opportunity with Somers Capital: www.somerscapital.com/invest. Want to join our Boutique Hotel Mastermind Community? Book a free strategy call with our team: www.hotelinvesting.com. If you're committed to scaling your personal brand and achieving 7-figure success, it's time to level up with the 7 Figure Creator Mastermind Community. Book your exclusive intro call today at www.the7figurecreator.com and gain access to the strategies that will accelerate your growth.