He Taught AI at University, Then Built a Property Empire From Scratch

He Taught AI at University, Then Built a Property Empire From Scratch

Nasser Abouzakhar spent years in academia teaching AI and cybersecurity, writing research papers, supervising students and publishing books. It was intellectually rewarding. It just wasn't enough. So he started buying properties on the side. Then more. Then moved his entire family from Watford to Manchester to be closer to the business. He went on to win AI Champion of the Year and appeared on TV show; Homes Under the Hammer. Then completed a government-funded AI project with Salford University to help property developers convert commercial buildings into residential units using generative AI. Today he runs Anzar Property Group, a deliberately focused Manchester-only, families-only buy to let portfolio, built on a simple but disciplined model of buying, renovating, tenanting and refinancing. In this episode, Nasser shares: * Why a stable academic career was not enough and what made him go all in on property * The buy to let model he has refined over nearly two decades and why he has never strayed from it * What Homes Under the Hammer did for his profile and what it accidentally did to auction room competition * How his AI background is now being applied directly to property development and conversion * Why he believes family business models have a unique advantage and a unique tension * What the next chapter looks like as commercial to residential conversion moves centre stage This is a conversation about intellectual curiosity meeting entrepreneurial ambition, and what happens when someone who genuinely understands AI decides to build a property business around it. If you are in property, interested in where AI is actually going in the real estate world, or building a business around deep specialist knowledge, this one is for you. ---------------------------------------- 🔗 Connect with Nasser Abouzakhar: 🌐 www.anzar.co.uk [http://www.anzar.co.uk] 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasser-abouzakhar-64878a60 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasser-abouzakhar-64878a60] ---------------------------------------- About The Growth Diary After a career as a professional windsurfer on the World Tour, I've spent over a decade building and scaling businesses across property, technology, and marketing. Through The Growth Diary, I'm on a mission to spotlight the real stories behind successful business growth, what works, what doesn't, and how leaders stay sharp while building something remarkable. 🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast] 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c [https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c] 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376 [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376]

She Took Her Redundancy Cheque, Ran and Built One of the UK's Most Loved Travel Businesses

When Wendy Haines was handed her redundancy after 20 years in a job, she didn't hesitate; She took the cheque, ran, and built something entirely her own. What followed was over a decade of grinding, networking, working behind a pub bar just to meet locals, and slowly building a client base that now books holidays two and three years in advance. Today Wendy runs an award-winning independent travel agency, holds the title of top agent for Riviera Travel across the UK and Ireland, and has created one of the most talked about solo travel communities for women in the country, Wendy's Wanderers, with over 1,200 members and trips running back to back across the globe. In this episode, Wendy shares: * Why she took redundancy and never looked back after two decades on the high street * How she chose which village to move to specifically because of how it would grow her business * The origin of Wendy's Wanderers and why it accidentally became a national movement * What the current travel market really looks like and how she is holding her own while others are down 20% * Why her clients book years in advance and what that says about the value of trust * Where she sees AI fitting into the business and what she still needs to figure out This is a conversation about backing yourself when the paycheque disappears, building a business on reputation rather than budget, and why the travel agent is far from dead. If you are building a service business on loyalty and word of mouth, or simply love the idea of adventure without the hassle, this one is for you. ---------------------------------------- 🔗 Connect with Wendy Haines: 🌐 www.wendyhainestravel.co.uk [http://www.wendyhainestravel.co.uk] 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/plantwendy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/plantwendy] ---------------------------------------- About The Growth Diary After a career as a professional windsurfer on the World Tour, I've spent over a decade building and scaling businesses across property, technology, and marketing. Through The Growth Diary, I'm on a mission to spotlight the real stories behind successful business growth, what works, what doesn't, and how leaders stay sharp while building something remarkable. 🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast] 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c [https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c] 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376 [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376]

He Picked Up a Toolbox and Built One of London's Most Impressive Property Businesses

Ravi Jheeta didn't finish his law degree. He picked up a toolbox instead. Twenty years later, starting from nothing and coming from humble beginnings, he has built Kaya Landmarks into a full turnkey London property development business, controlling everything from land acquisition through to construction, delivery and now development finance through his own lending arm. It is one of the rarer models in the industry, and it was built entirely from the ground up. In this episode, Ravi shares: * Why he walked away from law and went all in on property from scratch * How controlling the full life cycle of a development de-risks everything * What it means to be a lender who has actually been on the tools and run the sites * Why he stripped his team back post-COVID and became more productive with less * His vision for floating the business and building a serious loan book * The one thing he believes most people in property consistently get wrong This is a conversation about backing yourself when you have nothing, building a business around people rather than process, and why focusing on execution rather than rewards is the only way to build something that lasts. If you are in property, construction, or development finance, or simply building something from the ground up with no safety net, this one is for you. ---------------------------------------- 🔗 Connect with Ravi Jheeta: 🌐 www.kayalandmarks.co.uk [http://www.kayalandmarks.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- About The Growth Diary After a career as a professional windsurfer on the World Tour, I've spent over a decade building and scaling businesses across property, technology, and marketing. Through The Growth Diary, I'm on a mission to spotlight the real stories behind successful business growth, what works, what doesn't, and how leaders stay sharp while building something remarkable. 🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast] 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c [https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c] 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376 [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376]

30 Years Selling Vending Machines — Then He Quit and Started Again From Scratch

Jason Boull spent three decades in a family business. He was first in the office, last out, working evenings, weekends, constantly. When he finally found a gap in the diary to book a family holiday, the travel agent never called him back. He never rebooked. He never went. That one missed phone call stayed with him. Years later, when he finally walked away from the family business, it became the seed of everything that followed. Today Jason runs Boullies Travel, a bespoke concierge travel service specialising in the kind of experiences most booking platforms couldn't design if they tried. Lapland, Disney, Caribbean, Japan, multi-generational family adventures and everything in between, all handled from first conversation to welcome home call. In this episode, Jason shares: * Why he walked away from 30 years in one industry and started completely over * The moment a missed phone call quietly shaped an entire business philosophy * What the online booking industry has stripped out of travel and why it matters * Why AI will never replace a human who actually understands what you want from a holiday * How January became his biggest ever sales month and what happened next * His vision for a high street presence and what that means for the people he serves This is a conversation about starting over with purpose, building a business around the service you always wished existed, and why in travel, the human touch is not a nice to have, it is everything. If you are planning a trip and want it to actually mean something, or you are building a service business on genuine care and expertise, this one is for you. ---------------------------------------- 🔗 Connect with Jason Boull: 🌐 www.boulliestravel.com [http://www.boulliestravel.com] 📞 UK: 029 2166 1507 🎙️ The Jason Boull Travel Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jason-boull-travel-podcast/id1820713572 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jason-boull-travel-podcast/id1820713572] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7jjfy069tjkGww-KpWVw-fx7nzmvPh72 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7jjfy069tjkGww-KpWVw-fx7nzmvPh72] 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-boulliestravel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-boulliestravel] 📘 https://www.facebook.com/BoulliesTravel [https://www.facebook.com/BoulliesTravel] ---------------------------------------- About The Growth Diary After a career as a professional windsurfer on the World Tour, I've spent over a decade building and scaling businesses across property, technology, and marketing. Through The Growth Diary, I'm on a mission to spotlight the real stories behind successful business growth, what works, what doesn't, and how leaders stay sharp while building something remarkable. 🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast] 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c [https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c] 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376 [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376]

Don't Be Fooled By the Numbers — What You Can't See Will Hurt You - with Lee Driscoll at Rougemont

Lee Driscoll didn't take the conventional route. He studied surveying, spent a decade trading futures in London and corporate bonds in Milan, then came back to the UK in his thirties with a very deliberate plan, and eventually co-founded a practice that punches well above its weight. Rougemont Property Consultants is an intentionally lean, director-led firm advising some of the biggest names in commercial property, Royal London Asset Management, Derwent London, and high-profile private estates, without the red tape, the hierarchy, or the armies of inexperienced juniors that come with the big firms. In this episode, Lee shares: * Why he walked away from the city and came back to construction with a completely different mindset * The real reason experienced professionals should never be stuck in boardrooms * Why gut feel and honest advice matters more than data when serious money is on the line * How the RICS global AI standard is already reshaping the property industry * Why being small is actually a competitive advantage when it comes to innovation and agility * The construction trades he believes are genuinely AI-proof, and why young people should be paying attention This is a conversation about doing less, doing it better, and having the confidence to tell a client what they don't want to hear. If you work in property, construction, or are building a lean professional services firm on reputation and expertise, this one is for you. ---------------------------------------- Connect with Lee Driscoll: 🌐 www.rouge-mont.com [http://www.rouge-mont.com] 📧 lee.driscoll@rouge-mont.com [lee.driscoll@rouge-mont.com] 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-driscoll-77896a20 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-driscoll-77896a20] ---------------------------------------- About The Growth Diary After a career as a professional windsurfer on the World Tour, I've spent over a decade building and scaling businesses across property, technology, and marketing. Through The Growth Diary, I'm on a mission to spotlight the real stories behind successful business growth, what works, what doesn't, and how leaders stay sharp while building something remarkable. 🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@TheGrowthDiaryPodcast] 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c [https://open.spotify.com/show/4xRw4dfe3u1LYqja07KgTg?si=b32ae294d09c4b1c] 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376 [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1865496376]