In this powerful and inspiring episode, Devin Ramos shares his journey from a 15-year career in the military—including time as a Green Beret—to becoming a full-time real estate investor and co-founder of a growing residential cleaning business, Maid in America. Devin opens up about the internal shift that led him from military service to entrepreneurship, the trials of his first BRRRR deal, and the lessons learned from scaling both a real estate operation and a service business. 

He and James explore the overlap between leadership, service, and entrepreneurship—diving into topics like marketing mistakes, building a team, navigating business with your spouse, and what it means to stay focused during uncertain market conditions. 

This episode is packed with strategy, reflection, and entrepreneurial wisdom from someone who’s been through the trenches—literally and figuratively. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• How Devin transitioned from a 15-year military career into full-time real estate investing 
• Why a service-first mindset and strong values can drive business success 
• The reality of starting with little capital and scaling through creative deal-making 
• What a “novation” deal is and how it compares to wholesaling and flipping 
• The importance of cashflow and how Devin used a cleaning business to fuel real estate investments 
• Lessons from managing two businesses at once—and how to stay focused without burning out 
• Why discipline, margin, and strategy matter more than volume in today’s market 
• How Devin and his wife grew a residential cleaning company with national potential 

Timestamps: 

0:00 – Introduction

0:56 – Devin’s background: Small-town roots, military service, and discovering his desire to serve 

5:30 – Entering Special Forces and grappling with career/life purpose 

10:40 – A pivotal mindset shift around money, freedom, and retirement 

13:10 – Faith, family, and the role of values in business decisions 

18:43 – Starting in real estate: Rich Dad Poor Dad, BiggerPockets, and learning by doing 

24:29 – From one BRRRR to 40 deals a year: Building the real estate business 

27:15 – What’s a "novation" and when does it make sense? 

30:32 – Creative problem solving: A multi-family deal using sub-to and wholesaling 

34:57 – Balancing two businesses: Real estate and residential cleaning 

37:55 – Launching “Maid in America” cleaning company with his wife 

42:06 – Scaling the cleaning business while reinvesting in real estate 

49:11 – Devin’s current focus: High-margin deals and replicating business units 

54:06 – Navigating burnout, risk, and learning to slow down 

57:25 – Where to find Devin online and learn about his podcast 

Links

Devin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-ramos-602a811ab

James Gaskin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gaskin-b675593/

Renovo Financial - https://renovofinancial.com/