From Corporate Layoffs to $150M in Real Estate | John Casmon

The Missing Piece in Passive Real Estate Investing | Pat Zingarella

How do you know if you're investing with the right real estate operator? In this episode, Levi sits down with Pat Zingarella, founder of Invest Clearly, to discuss one of the biggest challenges passive investors face: evaluating the people behind the deals. After transitioning from corporate America into real estate investing, Pat built Invest Clearly to bring greater transparency to private real estate investing by helping investors research operators, compare opportunities, and learn from verified investor experiences. What You'll Hear: Pat shares his journey from working in corporate sales to buying his first fourplex just before COVID, navigating tenants who stopped paying rent, unexpected property expenses, and eventually discovering major fraud while working for a commercial real estate investor. Those experiences shaped his belief that investors need better tools to evaluate sponsors before investing. The conversation explores why due diligence shouldn't stop with underwriting a property. Pat explains why investors should spend just as much time evaluating the operator as they do analyzing the deal itself, and why reputation, communication, and transparency are becoming the biggest differentiators in today's market. Pat also breaks down how Invest Clearly works, describing it as a "Yelp for private real estate." The platform allows investors to compare real estate investment firms, browse investment opportunities, and read verified reviews from other passive investors to better understand what it's like working with different sponsors. Levi and Pat discuss the current capital raising environment, why many sponsors are finding it harder to attract investors despite strong lead flow, and how today's market is rewarding operators who communicate honestly through difficult times rather than those with the biggest marketing budgets. The episode concludes with practical advice for new passive investors, including why you should never invest in something you don't fully understand, how to ask better questions during due diligence, and why seeking independent perspectives outside of the sponsor's sales process can dramatically improve investment decisions.

From Corporate Layoffs to $150M in Real Estate | John Casmon

What would you do if the company you trusted for your financial security suddenly disappeared? In this episode, Levi sits down with John Casmon, marketing partner at Casmon Capital Group, multifamily investor, podcast host, and coach who has helped acquire more than $150 million in apartment investments while teaching busy professionals how to build wealth through real estate. What You'll Hear: John shares the pivotal moments that changed his life forever, including working through not one, but two corporate bankruptcies. After watching stable employers collapse around him, he realized that a paycheck alone wasn't enough to create true financial security. One conversation with a coworker completely shifted his perspective. While everyone else was stressed about layoffs and uncertainty, this colleague remained calm because he had built investment income outside of his job. That lesson became the catalyst for John's journey into real estate investing. The conversation dives into John's early real estate investments, the mistakes and lessons learned along the way, and how he eventually scaled into larger multifamily deals by leveraging partnerships and other people's money. John also explains why today's investors need to focus on fundamentals instead of chasing trends. He discusses the importance of cash flow, risk management, market selection, and why many investors got caught up in unrealistic expectations during the recent real estate boom. One of the most powerful takeaways is John's perspective on investing as a long-term game. Using sports analogies and real-world examples, he explains why setbacks shouldn't cause investors to quit, but rather adjust their strategy while keeping sight of their ultimate financial goals. Whether you're just starting to think beyond your 401(k), actively investing in real estate, or looking for practical wisdom on building long-term wealth, this episode offers valuable insights on financial independence, risk, and creating your own "life jacket" before you need it.

The Executive Hiring Secrets That Build Billion-Dollar Companies | Kip Knippel

What separates great leaders from average ones? And how do the best companies consistently find executives who drive growth, culture, and long-term success? In this episode, Levi sits down with Kip Knippel, President and CEO of Kip Search, one of the nation's premier executive search firms specializing in C-suite and senior leadership recruiting. Through his work with private equity firms, venture capital groups, family offices, and growth-focused companies, Kip helps organizations identify transformational leaders who create enterprise value and scale businesses successfully. What You'll Hear: Kip shares his unique journey from practicing corporate law and commercial real estate to building a nationally recognized executive search firm. He explains how his passion for connecting people ultimately became the foundation for a business centered on helping organizations find exceptional leadership talent. The conversation dives deep into what companies should look for when hiring executives, why cultural alignment often matters more than technical qualifications, and how top-performing leaders are motivated by meaningful challenges rather than compensation alone. Kip also breaks down the critical roles growing companies need to hire first, including why many founder-led businesses reach a point where they need an operational leader or CFO to help scale systems, processes, and execution. He shares practical insights from working with startups, private equity-backed companies, and Fortune 10 organizations alike. For professionals aspiring to leadership positions, Kip offers actionable career advice, including why proximity to great leaders matters, how to intentionally build your career path, and the importance of doing the job you want before you're officially promoted into it. The discussion also explores how AI is impacting recruiting, why executive hiring remains a deeply human process, and how leadership recruitment has evolved in a post-COVID world where top talent is more open than ever to exploring new opportunities. Whether you're a founder preparing to build your leadership team, an executive looking for your next opportunity, or an ambitious professional aiming for the C-suite, this episode delivers valuable insights into leadership, growth, and the mindset required to reach the highest levels of business.

From Burnout to Breakthrough: How Nurse Coaching is Changing Healthcare | Sarah Johnson

What happens when someone spends 30 years inside the healthcare system… and realizes the system itself is broken? In this episode, Sarah Johnson joins Levi to share her journey from longtime registered nurse to founder of Growth and Gratitude Coaching. After decades on the frontlines, Sarah saw a major shift in healthcare—from human connection and trust to a system driven by checkboxes, efficiency, and profit. What You'll Hear: Sarah walks through her early years in nursing, where patient care was deeply personal—sitting bedside, building relationships, and truly understanding people beyond their symptoms. Over time, she watched that connection fade as technology and systems took over, leaving both patients and providers feeling disconnected. A turning point came when Sarah realized she could no longer operate within a system that felt misaligned with her values. From hospital roles to home visits to navigating the challenges of COVID-era healthcare, she continued searching for a better way to serve people. That search led her to nurse coaching—a model that blends medical expertise with deep, human-centered coaching. Within months of discovering it, Sarah fully committed, completed her training, and launched her own private practice in 2024. Now, she helps people regulate their nervous system, reduce anxiety, overcome addiction, and reconnect with themselves—without relying solely on medication or rushed doctor visits. Her approach focuses on true, lasting wellness by addressing mind, body, and lifestyle together. Sarah also breaks down what nurse coaching actually is, why it’s still relatively unknown, and why she believes it’s the future of healthcare as more people seek personalized, holistic support. If you’ve ever felt like the healthcare system is missing something—or you’re looking for a more human approach to wellness—this episode will completely reframe how you think about healing and support.

FroFamily Shop to 150+ Employees: Scaling, Selling, and What Comes Next | Matt Erfman

What does it actually look like to grow a family business from a small shop into a multi-million dollar operation—and then step away from it? In this episode, Matt Erfman joins Levi to share the full journey behind Dakota Land Manufacturing, a company that started as a small, family-run operation and grew into a regional manufacturing leader with over 150 employees. From working in the shop as a teenager to helping lead the company through major growth, mergers, and ultimately a majority sale, Matt walks through every stage of the process. What You'll Hear: Matt shares how he got his start working in the business during high school, learning hands-on manufacturing before bringing in formal business strategy after college. What began as a small operation with just a handful of employees evolved through consistent customer outreach, strategic growth, and a willingness to adapt. A key part of the story is how the company found its footing early on—starting with a niche in sheet metal fabrication and landing foundational contracts that helped them survive and grow. From cold outreach and local relationships to landing larger clients, Matt explains how momentum was built step by step. The conversation also dives into the realities of running a family business. Matt shares the challenges that come with mixing family and business decisions, and how their team eventually reframed their approach—shifting from a “family business” mindset to becoming a “business family,” where decisions are made in the best interest of the company first. You’ll hear how pivotal moments—like the 2008 recession and achieving ISO certification—opened the door to major growth opportunities, leading to multi-million dollar customer relationships and long-term scalability. Matt also breaks down the strategic decisions that led to a merger in 2015, bringing in outside leadership and creating a more structured organization. That evolution ultimately set the stage for selling a majority stake in 2023, allowing for both continued growth and a transition into the next chapter. Now serving on the board, Matt reflects on life after stepping out of day-to-day operations—focusing on health, family, and giving back to the community. If you’re building something long-term, navigating a family business, or thinking about your eventual exit, this episode gives a clear, real-world look at what that journey actually involves—and what to think about when you reach the finish line.