Mike Hardy is a true renaissance man – he’s an Ironman, student pilot, real estate investor, sought-after speaker, leadership expert, fund manager, and a business coach for mortgage and real estate professionals. He has spoken at national conferences and events such as Todd Duncan’s High Trust Sales Mastery, with an audience of over 30,000 people, and has been quoted on Fox Business News and interviewed by USA Today.

Mike is an authority in the real estate and mortgage business, often sought out for his unique insights into such issues as the comparison between the 2007 and 2022 housing markets. He is currently the Managing Partner of California & Nevada business for Churchill Mortgage, leading a top 1% nationwide $100 million origination team, and overseeing 30 employees managing $500 million. His teams help more than 1,200 families annually with a purchase or refinance.

As the Principal and Co-Founder of CYRUS Opportunity Zone Fund, Mike lends his expertise to helping investors harness the power of tax-free investing through OZs. CYRUS was launched in 2019 and is currently working towards developing 100+ cash-flowing units in addition to multiple fix and flip projects.

Mike is a husband of 25 years, a father to 4 kids, and is actively involved in philanthropic efforts throughout his Southern California community. He loves using his experience to add value to people's lives through speaking, coaching, and mentorship.

In this episode, Mike discusses the different methods of making money – trading time for money, keeping money, and growing money – assesses what skill sets are needed for each. He explores how incentives are aligned and how capital is being attracted to hard-hit areas, leading to improved standards of living and businesses. He reflects on the importance of having the right mindset and environment to create meaningful opportunities in life. To learn more about Mike and his work, listeners can visit Cyrus Opportunity Zone Fund!

[00:01 - 02:50] Exploring The Benefits Of Creating Businesses And Jobs

• Mike shares how investors can benefit from investing in opportunity zones, which provide tax advantages

• Aligning incentives and value creation by bringing capital and investment to improve areas

[02:51 - 07:42] Unlocking The Possibilities Of Money

• Creating a business or creating jobs can create opportunity, fund more jobs, and improve the GDP

• Every person’s debt is somebody else’s asset

• We have the choice to be a problem seeker or possibility thinker

• Taking time to think can uncover opportunities that are right in front of us

• The fear of putting money with someone else and trusting them

• The three mindsets and skillsets when it comes to money:

• Trading time for money

• Keeping money efficiently, including tax strategy

• Growing money through investing and efficient tax strategy

[07:43 - 18:32] Closing Segment

• Mike says that opportunity is everywhere if you slow down and create the right environment

• To learn more about Mike and his work, listeners can visit Cyrus Opportunity Zone Fund!

Tweetable Quotes:

“You make a living by what you get, but you really make a life by what you give.” – Mike Hardy

“Every person's debt is somebody else's asset.” – Mike Hardy

You can connect with Mike through his:

Website: