In this episode, Jim welcomes the extraordinary Chris Prefontaine, founder of Smart Real Estate Coach, for a deep dive into the mindset, structure, and discipline required to build financial freedom through creative real estate investing. Prefontaine shares lessons from the 2008 crash, explains why coaching matters, and offers practical pathways for people looking to break free from traditional financial systems and build sustainable wealth.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Creative real estate is a discipline, not a tactic. Chris outlines a three-step approach to real estate success.

• Coaching is about accountability, not just motivation. Real transformation comes from daily tracking, public accountability, and consistent feedback—not from a one-time seminar.

• Cash flow > Nest eggs. Chris and Jim challenge conventional retirement thinking, offering examples of individuals who liquidated 401(k)s and replaced stagnant savings with income-producing assets.

Let this episode serve as a prompt to evaluate your current trajectory—are you building wealth, or just accumulating hope?

Connect with Chris Prefontaine:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/smartrealestatecoach

Facebook: www.facebook.com/smartrealestatecoach

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@wickedsmartinc

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@wickedsmartinc

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/wickedsmartinc/

In a market flooded with pitch decks and pro forma promises, what actually drives durable returns in private real estate? 

In this episode, Jim sits down with Jacob Vanderslice of VanWest Partners to dissect the operational backbone of self-storage, the risks behind the spreadsheets, and why real investors focus on downside protection more than projected upside.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-storage is an operating business. With granular rent streams, month-to-month leases, and retail-level management, it’s not just real estate—it’s operations.

• Cycles expose weak decisions. Jacob shares how forced timing, tax pressures, and poor planning can destroy returns—and how to avoid those traps.

• The right questions matter. A good pitch isn’t enough. Investors should ask about worst-case outcomes, not just IRR targets.

Self-storage may look simple from the outside, but as Jacob Vanderslice makes clear, consistent returns come from disciplined operations, not market timing. W

hether you're using Infinite Banking or other private capital strategies, the message is the same: know your operator, understand the risks, and focus on long-term execution—not short-term projections.

Connect with Jacob Vanderslice:

Website: www.vanwestpartners.com/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-vanderslice-02905b16b/

In this episode of Breakaway Wealth, Jim speaks with Tad Fallows, entrepreneur and founder of Long Angle, a private community for individuals with $2.2M+ in investable assets. They discuss how wealth creators think about investing, raising children without entitlement, and maintaining purpose after a business exit.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Portfolio strategy beyond Wall Street: High-net-worth individuals are moving away from traditional 60/40 portfolios, favoring private equity, real assets, and niche alternative investments for uncorrelated, equity-like returns.

• Post-exit risk mindset: Many entrepreneurs opt for higher-return, illiquid investments rather than de-risking, based on the belief that volatility is manageable when wealth exceeds basic needs.

• Raising children with financial independence: The most consistent concern among members of Fallows' community is how to instill grit and self-sufficiency in children growing up with financial abundance.

If you're serious about breaking away from conventional thinking and building lasting wealth, this conversation offers a clear window into how high-level entrepreneurs manage their capital, family, and future.

Connect with Tad Fallows:

Long Angle: https://www.longangle.com/

Tad's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fallows/

In this episode, Jim walks through the shift that changed everything: from chasing returns to building freedom through ownership and control.

He shares the early lessons—from a casket factory in Gary, Indiana to Wall Street boardrooms—that forced him to question the financial playbook most people follow. The real breakthrough? Understanding that freedom isn’t about having more—it’s about controlling what you already earn.

3 Takeaways:

• Ownership is leverage. Watching a business owner control time and capital changed Jim’s view of wealth. It’s not about working more—it’s about owning the system.

• Control creates independence. Through Infinite Banking and cash-flow assets, Jim took back control from banks, brokers, and traditional planners.

• Noise is the enemy. Schools, media, and advisors push dependence. Freedom starts by questioning the script—and taking action.

This episode is for anyone tired of playing defense. Listen, share, and hit subscribe to join a community that plays offense with money.

In this episode, Jim talks with Louis O’Connor, founder of Strategic Metals Invest, about a little-known asset class that’s playing an outsized role in energy, defense, and global manufacturing: rare earth and strategic metals.

Louis breaks down how investors can position themselves ahead of the demand curve—and why most people have never heard of these assets.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Critical inputs, limited access. Strategic metals power everything from semiconductors to EVs and missile systems. But most investors are locked out.

• Direct ownership is now possible. Private investors can hold metals like gallium and hafnium in secure vaults—and sell directly to manufacturers.

• Geopolitics drives opportunity. China’s control over the supply chain creates volatility, trade tension, and leverage for early movers.

Most portfolios react to the market. This is a chance to get ahead of it.

Connect with Louis O’Connor:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@strategicmetalsinvest

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StrategicMetalsInvest

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/louis-o-connor-a583341b8/

In this engaging conversation, Jim and Loral Langemeier explore the myths surrounding money, the importance of financial education, and the connection between health and wealth. Loral shares her insights on living a corporate life, alternative investments, and the significance of teamwork in achieving success. The discussion also highlights the Millionaire Maker Game as a tool for financial education and the necessity of being proactive in financial planning. 

Key Takeaways:

• Corporate structure is essential: Loral breaks down how running your life through entities—rather than as an individual—creates tax efficiency, asset protection, and long-term planning advantages.

• Everything you were taught about money is fragmented: Financial education in schools, from CPAs, and through media often ignores how real wealth is built. Loral outlines how integrating tax, estate, and insurance strategy is the missing link.

• Family legacy requires intention: Teaching financial values at home, not in school, is critical. Loral discusses how games, daily conversations, and structured learning can prepare the next generation to preserve—not squander—wealth.

If you're still living as a sole proprietor, waiting for permission, or putting your future in the hands of traditional advisors, this conversation will challenge you to rethink everything.

Connect with Loral Langemeier:

Website: https://integratedwealthsystems.com/

Website2: https://askloral.com/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCh0WrzMl0KfuNvQq04Ncs7Q

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lorallangemeier/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/askloral/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/IntegratedWealthSystems/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lorallangemeier?lang=en

In this conversation, Jim and Glenn Yaney discuss the journey to financial independence through real estate and the Infinite Banking Concept. Glenn shares how he moved beyond conventional financial advice, took control of his capital, and built sustainable wealth with cash-flowing assets. His story is a direct challenge to the status quo—and a blueprint for ownership.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Traditional advice doesn’t build freedom: Years of 401(k) contributions left Glenn with illiquid assets. It was business and real estate ownership that created true independence.

• The cost of inaction is control: Glenn used tax strategies to move capital out of retirement accounts and into mobile home parks and apartments—multiplying income and gaining access.

• Proximity is leverage: By surrounding himself with people who were already financially free, Glenn accelerated his learning and took confident action toward breaking away from his W-2.

Glenn Yaney didn’t wait—he took control, broke from the herd, and built real freedom through ownership and cash flow.

If you're still following the conventional path, ask yourself: is it really working? It’s time to think different. It’s time to own your future.

Connect with Glenn Yaney: Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-millionaire-journey-podcast/id1728886342

Website: www.verticalequityproperties.com/

In this episode, Jim Oliver and cohost Nick Kosko explore how the principle of Economic Value Added (EVA), widely used by corporations, can be applied to personal finance. They challenge conventional financial advice, specifically addressing the hidden cost of capital and its implications for wealth-building strategies like Infinite Banking.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding EVA: EVA is calculated using three components—Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT), cost of capital, and capital employed—and helps determine whether an enterprise is generating true value.

• Your Family is a Business: Just like a corporation, your household economy should account for the cost of capital to ensure efficient use of resources and long-term wealth accumulation.

• Lost Opportunity Cost: Paying with cash may seem simple, but it often ignores the potential returns that capital could have generated if deployed differently, leading to underestimated financial losses.

Jim and Nick make the case that applying corporate finance principles like EVA to your personal finances isn’t just possible—it’s essential. By recognizing your family as an economic entity and accounting for the true cost of capital, you can make more informed decisions that align with long-term wealth creation. 

The key isn’t just about how much money you make, but how efficiently you deploy and grow that capital over time.

In Part 2 of our series on tax strategies for real estate investors, Yonah Weiss breaks down cost segregation—a powerful but underutilized tool that can significantly reduce taxable income by accelerating depreciation. Yonah explains how cost segregation works, the benefits for real estate professionals, audit considerations, and common mistakes to avoid.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Front-Load Your Tax Savings: Cost segregation lets you write off big depreciation early—boosting cash flow and slashing taxes when it matters most.

• Use Pros or Pay the Price: DIY cost seg = audit risk. The wealthy hire experts who follow IRS rules and unlock every legal advantage.

•  Wealth Is Strategy, Not Luck: High-level investors study the tax code and use it. They don’t guess—they play offense and reinvest savings to scale fast.

If you want to learn more or need guidance on how to implement these strategies, don’t hesitate to reach out to experts like Yonah Weiss or connect with real estate-savvy CPAs. 

Until next time, keep educating yourself, stay strategic, and keep breaking away from the ordinary.

Connect with Yonah Weiss:

Website: www.madisonspecs.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/yonahweiss/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cost-segregation-yonah-weiss/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YonahWeiss

In this first episode of a two-part series, tax incentives expert Gian Pazzia provides a high-level overview of key tax-saving strategies for business owners and real estate investors. Gian breaks down major trends like cost segregation and energy tax credits, revealing how these tools can accelerate deductions, reduce taxable income, and unlock significant savings. 

This episode sets the stage for Part 2, which will dive deeper into practical implementation with another special guest.

Key Takeaways:

• Cost Segregation Studies: How breaking down your building’s components can accelerate depreciation and increase first-year deductions by up to 25%, delivering major cash flow benefits for real estate investors.

• Real Estate Professional Status & Short-Term Rentals: Insights on how meeting specific IRS criteria or leveraging short-term rental classifications can unlock the ability to offset passive losses against active income.

• Stacking Incentives: Exploring how commercial real estate investors can combine accelerated depreciation with energy tax credits (like 179D and 45L) to maximize tax benefits.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll go beyond the overview and dig into the detailed tactics and implementation steps for these tax-saving strategies.

Resources: 

For 10% off your residential Cost Segregation study (under $1.2M) : www.costsegregation.com/BREAKAWAY2025

Connect with Gian Pazzia: Website: www.kbkg.com/residential-costsegregator  

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/costsegregationservices/