The American Dream Was Built To Make Banks Rich

The American Dream Was Built To Make Banks Rich

In this episode of Going Public with Ross Mandell, Ross sits down with John McGuire for a powerful conversation about mortgages, home ownership, real estate, debt, banks, financial education, and the truth behind the American Dream. For generations, Americans have been told that buying a home is the safest path to building wealth. But is your home really an asset — or is it a liability designed to keep you paying banks for decades? Ross and John break down why the traditional mortgage system may benefit banks more than homeowners, why paying off your mortgage may not always be the smartest financial move, and how people should think differently about equity, debt, interest, and wealth building. This episode challenges one of the biggest beliefs in personal finance: that owning a home automatically means you are building wealth. Ross and John explain how mortgages work, how banks make money through interest, why homeowners often misunderstand equity, and why liquidity, leverage, cash flow, and opportunity cost matter more than most people realize. They also discuss the difference between good debt and bad debt, why financial literacy is missing in America, how the banking system profits from traditional thinking, and why many people spend their entire lives chasing a version of the American Dream that may not actually make them financially free. If you are interested in real estate investing, mortgages, home ownership, personal finance, financial literacy, wealth building, banks, interest rates, debt strategy, home equity, paying off your mortgage, cash flow, and how to build long-term wealth, this episode gives you a direct and thought-provoking breakdown of what most people were never taught about money. Topics Covered: Why your home may not be the asset you think it is The truth about mortgages and home ownership How banks make money from long-term debt Why paying off your mortgage could be a financial mistake The difference between equity, liquidity, and cash flow How interest rates affect real estate and wealth building Why the American Dream may benefit banks more than families Good debt vs. bad debt Why financial literacy matters more than ever How to think differently about real estate, leverage, and opportunity cost Why traditional money advice can keep people stuck Building wealth outside of the standard mortgage mindset About Ross Mandell: Ross Mandell is a former Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, author, and capital formation expert who shares real-world insight on investing, Wall Street, personal finance, business, capital markets, entrepreneurship, wealth creation, and the psychology of money. 🔗 Links & Resources 📌 Book A Call With Ross https://buy.stripe.com/6oUfZggxt25Bc5Ld8L5Vu05 Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator 📲 Follow Ross Mandell on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossmandell/ 📲 Follow John McGuire On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/john.w.mcguire/ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 — Why Your Home Is Not an Asset 08:40 — Mortgage Equity, Bank Permission and the Homeownership Trap 17:20 — Liquidity, HELOCs and Why Cash Beats Home Equity 26:00 — Real Estate, Depreciation and Smart Money Decisions 34:40 — Property Taxes, Whole Life Insurance and Building Wealth 43:20 — Credit Card Debt, Term Life Insurance and Financial Discipline 52:00 — John McGuire’s Miami Expansion and Private Wealth Strategy

Behind the IPO Curtain: What They're Not Telling You

Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator In this solo episode of Going Public with Ross Mandell, Ross breaks down the brutal truth about IPO roadshows, Wall Street, investment banking, hedge funds, public offerings, and what really happens before a company goes public. Before a stock ever starts trading on the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange, there is an intense behind-the-scenes process where CEOs, founders, bankers, analysts, institutional investors, and hedge funds all fight for position. Ross explains how the IPO process works, why the roadshow matters, how Wall Street sells a deal, and what most retail investors never get to see. Ross takes viewers inside the pressure of the IPO roadshow, where companies must pitch their story to major investors, answer tough questions, defend their valuation, and convince institutions to buy shares before the stock hits the public market. He explains how bankers create demand, how pricing decisions are made, why momentum matters, and why the best IPOs are often decided long before everyday investors can buy in. This episode also explores the psychology of Wall Street: fear, greed, ego, access, power, and the relationship between investment banks and institutional money. Ross shares his perspective from decades in the market on how deals are positioned, how hype is built, and why understanding the roadshow can help investors better understand IPO stocks, market cycles, and capital formation. If you are interested in IPOs, IPO roadshows, Wall Street, investment banking, hedge funds, stock market investing, private companies going public, Nasdaq listings, public offerings, IPO pricing, capital markets, and how money is raised on Wall Street, this episode gives you a direct breakdown from someone who lived inside that world. Topics Covered: What an IPO roadshow is How companies prepare to go public What really happens before an IPO starts trading Why investment banks control access to major deals How Wall Street builds demand for IPO stocks Why hedge funds and institutions get first look How IPO pricing and valuation are decided Why CEOs and founders must sell the story The pressure behind billion-dollar public offerings What retail investors usually miss about IPOs How fear, greed, and momentum shape Wall Street deals Why the IPO process reveals how capital markets really work About Ross Mandell: Ross Mandell is a former Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, author, and capital formation expert who shares real-world insight on IPOs, investing, public markets, private markets, capital raising, entrepreneurship, Wall Street psychology, business, finance, and wealth creation. 🔗 Links & Resources 📌 Book A Call With Ross buy.stripe.com/6oUfZggxt25Bc5Ld8L5Vu05 📲 Follow Ross Mandell on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossmandell/

The Cost of Being a Kingpin | DEA, Federal Prison & Life After Incarceration

In this episode of Going Public with Ross Mandell, Ross sits down with Ryan Root, entrepreneur, hormone health educator, former federal inmate, and founder in the TRT / HRT / hormone replacement therapy space, for a raw conversation about testosterone, steroids, bodybuilding, federal prison, entrepreneurship, GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Ozempic, and rebuilding life after indictment. Ryan opens up about growing up undersized, struggling with low testosterone symptoms, discovering weight training, and eventually entering the underground world of performance-enhancing drugs, anabolic steroids, testosterone, bodybuilding forums, and hormone education. What started as a passion for helping people understand testosterone and hormones eventually turned into a major online operation — and then a federal case. Ross and Ryan break down what it feels like to be indicted by the federal government, why Ryan chose to plead guilty, how conspiracy cases work, what federal prison was really like, and how he rebuilt his life after serving time. Ryan also explains how he turned his past knowledge into a legal business through H4M, one of the larger hormone replacement and TRT clinics in the country. This conversation goes deep into the controversy around testosterone replacement therapy, the misinformation surrounding steroids, the difference between underground steroid use and medically supervised hormone therapy, and why Ryan believes testosterone has been misunderstood for decades. Ross and Ryan also discuss GLP-1 medications, Ozempic, weight loss, metabolic health, blood work, fitness, nutrition, and long-term health. If you are interested in TRT, HRT, testosterone therapy, hormone optimization, bodybuilding, steroid laws, federal prison stories, entrepreneurship after prison, Ozempic, GLP-1 weight loss, men’s health, and the truth behind performance-enhancing drugs, this episode delivers a powerful conversation about risk, consequences, redemption, and building a legitimate business after losing everything. This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always speak with a qualified medical professional before making decisions about hormones, medications, TRT, HRT, GLP-1 drugs, or any health treatment. Topics Covered: Ryan Root’s early life and struggle with low testosterone How bodybuilding changed his confidence and identity The underground world of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs Testosterone, TRT, HRT, and hormone replacement therapy Why Ryan believes testosterone is misunderstood Federal indictment, conspiracy charges, and pleading guilty What federal prison was really like How Ryan rebuilt his life after prison Starting a legal hormone health business H4M and the future of TRT clinics Ozempic, GLP-1 drugs, weight loss, and metabolic health Why blood work and medical supervision matter Entrepreneurship, risk, redemption, and second chances About Ross Mandell: Ross Mandell is a former Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, author, and capital formation expert who sits down with business leaders, investors, founders, survivors, and people with extraordinary life stories to explore success, failure, money, redemption, and the truth behind high-level achievement. 🔗 Links & Resources 📌 Book A Call With Ross https://buy.stripe.com/6oUfZggxt25Bc5Ld8L5Vu05 Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator 📲 Follow Ross Mandell on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossmandell/ 📲 Follow Ryan Root On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ryanrootofficial/ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 — Ryan Root on Federal Prison, Steroids and Redemption 08:40 — Testosterone, Estrogen and the Truth About TRT 17:20 — How Testosterone Changed Ryan Root’s Body and Mind 26:00 — Bodybuilding, Hormones and Life Inside Federal Prison 34:40 — Anti-Aging, Hormone Therapy and Men’s Health 43:20 — Anavar, Steroids and P

The Infrastructure Behind AI Is Changing Who Gets Rich

Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator In this solo episode of Going Public with Ross Mandell, Ross breaks down why AI data centers may be the real gold rush behind artificial intelligence and why the biggest money may not only be in ChatGPT, apps, or software — but in the infrastructure powering the entire AI revolution. Ross explains how artificial intelligence is creating massive demand for data centers, Nvidia chips, semiconductors, electricity, land, cooling systems, nuclear energy, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. As companies race to build and train more powerful AI models, the world needs more computing power than ever before — and that demand is creating a new wave of investment opportunities. This episode dives into why data centers are becoming digital real estate, why power and energy may become one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI growth, and why investors should pay attention to the companies behind the scenes: chipmakers, utilities, land owners, cooling technology companies, nuclear energy providers, and infrastructure builders. Ross also explains why Nvidia remains a major player in the AI economy, but the opportunity may extend far beyond one stock. The next major wealth cycle could be created by the businesses that build, power, cool, and operate the physical backbone of artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in AI investing, data center stocks, Nvidia stock, artificial intelligence infrastructure, energy stocks, nuclear power, cloud computing, semiconductor stocks, digital real estate, and how to build wealth from the AI boom, this episode gives you Ross Mandell’s direct breakdown of where the money may be moving next. In This Episode, Ross Covers: Why data centers may be the real AI gold rush How artificial intelligence is driving massive demand for infrastructure Why Nvidia chips are only one part of the AI economy How data centers became the new form of digital real estate Why electricity, power grids, and nuclear energy matter for AI growth How cooling systems and land are becoming key parts of the AI boom Why cloud computing and semiconductors are critical to AI expansion How investors can think beyond ChatGPT and focus on infrastructure Why the next billionaires may come from the companies powering AI About Ross Mandell Ross Mandell is a former Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, author, and capital formation expert who shares real-world insight on investing, IPOs, private markets, capital raising, Wall Street psychology, entrepreneurship, technology, AI, and wealth building. Chapters 00:00 — Why AI Data Centers Are the Real Gold Rush 02:45 — Nvidia, Chips and the Infrastructure Behind AI 05:30 — Power, Nuclear Energy and the Data Center Bottleneck 08:15 — Digital Real Estate, Cooling Systems and AI Wealth Creation 🔗 Links & Resources 📌 Book A Call With Ross buy.stripe.com/6oUfZggxt25Bc5Ld8L5Vu05 📲 Follow Ross Mandell on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossmandell/ Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

The Infrastructure Behind AI Is Changing Who Gets Rich

Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator In this solo episode of Going Public with Ross Mandell, Ross breaks down why AI data centers may be the real gold rush behind artificial intelligence and why the biggest money may not only be in ChatGPT, apps, or software — but in the infrastructure powering the entire AI revolution. Ross explains how artificial intelligence is creating massive demand for data centers, Nvidia chips, semiconductors, electricity, land, cooling systems, nuclear energy, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. As companies race to build and train more powerful AI models, the world needs more computing power than ever before — and that demand is creating a new wave of investment opportunities. This episode dives into why data centers are becoming digital real estate, why power and energy may become one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI growth, and why investors should pay attention to the companies behind the scenes: chipmakers, utilities, land owners, cooling technology companies, nuclear energy providers, and infrastructure builders. Ross also explains why Nvidia remains a major player in the AI economy, but the opportunity may extend far beyond one stock. The next major wealth cycle could be created by the businesses that build, power, cool, and operate the physical backbone of artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in AI investing, data center stocks, Nvidia stock, artificial intelligence infrastructure, energy stocks, nuclear power, cloud computing, semiconductor stocks, digital real estate, and how to build wealth from the AI boom, this episode gives you Ross Mandell’s direct breakdown of where the money may be moving next. In This Episode, Ross Covers: Why data centers may be the real AI gold rush How artificial intelligence is driving massive demand for infrastructure Why Nvidia chips are only one part of the AI economy How data centers became the new form of digital real estate Why electricity, power grids, and nuclear energy matter for AI growth How cooling systems and land are becoming key parts of the AI boom Why cloud computing and semiconductors are critical to AI expansion How investors can think beyond ChatGPT and focus on infrastructure Why the next billionaires may come from the companies powering AI About Ross Mandell Ross Mandell is a former Wall Street professional, entrepreneur, author, and capital formation expert who shares real-world insight on investing, IPOs, private markets, capital raising, Wall Street psychology, entrepreneurship, technology, AI, and wealth building. Chapters 00:00 — Why AI Data Centers Are the Real Gold Rush 02:45 — Nvidia, Chips and the Infrastructure Behind AI 05:30 — Power, Nuclear Energy and the Data Center Bottleneck 08:15 — Digital Real Estate, Cooling Systems and AI Wealth Creation 🔗 Links & Resources 📌 Book A Call With Ross buy.stripe.com/6oUfZggxt25Bc5Ld8L5Vu05 📲 Follow Ross Mandell on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossmandell/ Join Ross’s Patreon Community for exclusive content and LIVE events https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheRealRossMandell?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator