80: From Iranian Immigrant to $200M in Deals: August Biniaz on Raising Capital and Building a Real Estate Fund

84: The Million-Dollar Businesses Nobody Wants to Own, with Jon Ostenson

I sat down with Jon Ostenson to talk about a side of entrepreneurship that most people completely overlook. Instead of chasing the next trendy startup, Jon helps people build wealth through proven franchise businesses, many of them in industries you'd never think twice about. We talk about why "boring" businesses often produce the best returns, how franchising compares to buying an existing business, financing with SBA loans, hiring great operators, and the types of businesses that are most likely to thrive over the next 10 to 20 years. If you've ever wanted to own a business but didn't know where to start, I think you'll get a lot out of this conversation.

83: $18,000/Month From Vacant Land (And a LOT More Freedom)

I sat down with Brent Bowers to talk about one of the most overlooked niches in real estate: flipping vacant land. Brent shares how he went from serving in the military, where he had almost no control over his time, to building a business that gave him both financial freedom and the ability to be home with his family. We dive into how he found his first deals, why he prefers land over rentals, how seller financing created recurring income, and why chasing a bigger business isn't always the answer. We also spend time talking about gratitude, faith, and defining success on your own terms. If you're looking for practical real estate strategies and a fresh perspective on building a life you actually enjoy, I think you'll really like this conversation.

82: One Piece of Pizza or Two? Liz Wolfe on Abundance, Scarcity, and the Mindset That Changes How You Do Business

I had a lovely conversation with Liz Wolfe today, and it went a different direction than a lot of our episodes — all about mindset, and specifically how to trade a scarcity mindset for an abundance one. Liz is a coach for entrepreneurs out of New York City who's been in business for over 30 years. Fun fact: she grew up on a sheep farm in western Pennsylvania, came to the city originally for music, and still runs bluegrass jams on the side. Our audience is mostly real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and folks trying to be good stewards with their money, and Liz has so much to offer on how we think about our businesses. A few things to keep your ears open for: She talks about longevity and incremental success — the one-percent-better-every-day idea — and why we shouldn't chase the big breakthrough or get discouraged by the "overnight success" stories on social media (which, as she points out, are staged, and often hiding the fact that someone spent $19,000 on ads to make $20,000). Then she walks through her three keys to an abundant business: ask powerfully (be specific about what you want and what you're asking for), give wholeheartedly (giving creates more of what you want in the world), and receive graciously — with gratitude tying the whole circle together. But the part I keep coming back to is her pizza metaphor. At a pizza party, some people take two pieces because they're afraid it'll run out, and some take one piece because they're afraid it'll run out — the difference is whether you're thinking of yourself or of everyone else at the table. And if everyone grabs two, you actually guarantee there won't be enough. We got real about how this plays out in business. I shared how, with my coffee shop here in Waco, I genuinely want the other coffee shops in town to thrive — I'll consult with them, leave good reviews, promote their events. Liz and I dug into why that same generous, one-piece-of-pizza posture is harder to hold in business than it is with our friends, our families, and our churches, and how shifting it changes everything. We wrapped with something close to my heart: gratitude. I shared about my morning habit of Bible reading and journaling ten things I'm thankful for, and how that's the doorway into the whole cycle Liz describes. Start with gratitude, and the asking, giving, and receiving flow from there. My challenge to you this week is simple, and it's straight from this episode: go be a one-piece-of-pizza person. Then write down three things from today's conversation you want to put into practice, DM me on Instagram and tell me what landed, and go connect with Liz. Let's get into it.

81: Why I Quit Being a Landlord: Will Harvey on Finding Your Lane, Honest Wins and Losses, and Building a Hard Money Fund

I really enjoyed this conversation with Will Harvey. Will is a real estate investor turned hard money lender out of the Richmond, Virginia area — and what I appreciate most about him is how honest he is about both the wins and the losses. He's young, he's a man of faith, and he's spent about a decade figuring out what he's actually called to do in this business. If you're a real estate investor who isn't totally loving the path you're on, this one's for you. Will's story starts with a detour: he was playing college football until a double hip surgery ended that, so he came home in 2015 and got into the mortgage business, eventually becoming a loan officer. He used that income to buy a few rentals — and then realized he hated being a landlord. We spend some real time on that, because it's the side of real estate nobody talks about. It's not the maintenance requests and headaches for everybody, and that's okay. For Will, the lightbulb was realizing he loves the finance side — analyzing deals, being on the money side — not swinging hammers and running operations. From there he pivoted: left the mortgage world right before COVID, started a house-flipping company, and used the cash to invest passively as a limited partner in multifamily syndications (with a smart tax angle using bonus depreciation to offset his flip income). He's brutally honest about the wins and losses along the way — the flip where he broke his own rules, hung on too long, and walked away with $400; the $860K deal way outside his buy box that he made emotional decisions on and lost $70K; and the flip that made $150K in 38 days, where the big lesson was don't over-improve the property. As he puts it, you don't have to make it the Taj Mahal. Then we get into where he's landed: hard money lending. It started almost by accident with a single can't-miss loan and has grown into Harvey Capital, with around $4 million funded across roughly 30 loans since 2023 — and now he's working on launching a fund to scale it. We talk practical terms, what makes a good deal, and why working with a lender who's actually walked in the operator's shoes is different from filling out a form at a big national shop. We also went on a couple of beautiful rabbit trails — about freedom. The same posture that makes you a strong negotiator (being able to walk away because you don't need the deal) is the posture Will and I both want in life and in faith: free from needing the car, the house, the phone, the reputation. There's a lot of peace in that. Quick note: this episode covers lending, funds, LP investments, and tax strategy for educational purposes — it's not financial, tax, or legal advice, and nothing here is an offer to invest. Talk to a licensed professional about your own situation. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to act on, and DM me on Instagram to tell me what landed. And if you've got a deal coming up, go connect with Will. Let's get into it.

80: From Iranian Immigrant to $200M in Deals: August Biniaz on Raising Capital and Building a Real Estate Fund

August Biniaz is one of those guests who makes the big leagues feel a little more reachable. If you're in the single-family world like me — rentals, fix-and-flips, maybe some ground-up — and you've ever wondered how people make the jump to raising money and running a real estate fund, this episode is for you. It's tactical, it's honest, and August's story is remarkable. August grew up in Iran, moved to Canada with his family in 1995, and went from upper-middle-class to starting over from scratch after his parents divorced. He got into real estate in his early 20s, did fix-and-flips, and built a general contracting company in Vancouver constructing custom and spec homes. After a decade of that, he wanted to scale into bigger projects — and discovered the world of real estate private equity and syndications. Today he's a co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of CPI Capital, which gives investors exposure to U.S. multifamily and build-to-rent deals. They've done five deals totaling over $200 million in acquisitions, with markets in Tampa and now San Antonio. We get really practical in this one. August walks through his "pyramid" of running a fund — acquisitions, asset management, and investor relations — and gives an honest look at his actual day-to-day as a CIO, including the weekly calls, the deal pipeline, and the systems his team runs on. He breaks down how the capital stack works (agency debt like Freddie Mac alongside retail and high-net-worth equity), how their investor funnel takes someone from a first form-fill all the way to a funded deal, and how he raises money from family offices and accredited investors. And if you're trying to make the leap yourself, his advice is simple: surround yourself with people already doing it, because success leaves clues. Near the end, we went somewhere we don't usually go on this show. August is an Iranian American, and he shared his perspective on the conflict involving Iran — both personally and as an investor watching oil prices, the Strait of Hormuz, and interest rates. Quick heads-up: we recorded this in early April, so that part is a snapshot of how things looked at that moment, and the situation has shifted a lot since. I found it valuable to hear straight from someone with roots there. One note: this episode discusses raising capital, funds, and private investments for educational purposes — it's not investment advice or an offer to invest. Do your own due diligence and talk to a licensed professional before making any decisions. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to act on, and DM me on Instagram to tell me what landed. And go connect with August and check out CPI Capital. Let's get into it.