From Losing $50M to Rebuilding Success | Rod Khleif on Mindset, Resilience & Real Estate | High Stakes Podcast

What would you do if you lost $50 million… and had to start over from scratch?

In this powerful episode of High Stakes with Steve Rozenberg, Steve sits down with real estate investor, entrepreneur, and mentor Rod Khleif to talk about resilience, mindset, and what it really takes to build lasting success.

Rod’s journey is nothing short of incredible. After immigrating to the United States with almost nothing, he went on to build a massive real estate portfolio owning more than 2,000 properties before losing $50 million during the 2008 crash. Instead of quitting, he rebuilt his life and business with a new perspective on success and purpose. 

In this episode, we dive into:

🔥 The mindset required to recover after massive failure

🔥 Why fear holds most entrepreneurs back

🔥 The difference between achievement and fulfillment

🔥 How to turn your skills into scalable systems

🔥 The habits that create long-term success

Rod shares powerful lessons about growth, resilience, leadership, and building a life that actually matters.

This conversation is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, and anyone looking to level up their mindset and business.

⸻

🎙 About the Guest

Rod Khleif is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, author, and mentor who has owned and managed over 2,000 properties and built multiple multimillion-dollar businesses. He is also the host of the popular real estate podcast Lifetime Cashflow Through Real Estate Investing, with millions of downloads worldwide. 

🎙️ New Episode – High Stakes with Steve Rozenberg 🎙️

This one goes deep.

Steve sits down with Aaron Chapman for a raw conversation about adversity, reinvention, legacy, and what success really means.

From oil fields and mining…

To losing everything in 2008…

To rebuilding, writing a book, and redefining wealth beyond money.

They talk about:

🔥 The “cheat code” to life

📚 Why most people ignore the knowledge sitting on their shelves

👊 Getting back up after massive setbacks

🏔 Why success feels like climbing Everest

💭 And how your definition of success evolves over time

This isn’t just business.

It’s about resilience, faith, relationships, and building something that outlives you.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow.

You don’t want to miss this one.

#HighStakes #Podcast #Entrepreneurship #Mindset #Legacy #Leadership

What if you could skip 10 years of mistakes…

And buy cash flow instead of building from scratch?

This week, Steve sits down with Paul Lajoie — CPA turned serial entrepreneur who has bought and sold 20+ businesses over 25 years.

They dive into:

💰 How to buy a business with as little as 5% down

📉 The costly mistakes most first-time buyers make

🧠 Why ego kills wealth

🚀 Scaling vs. diversification — which wins?

🏠 Why home services may be the safest play in an AI world

🔥 The mindset shift from employee to owner

Paul shares the raw truth about sacrifice, bankruptcy, sleepless nights, and what it really takes to build generational wealth.

If you’ve ever thought about owning a business instead of working for one… this episode is your blueprint.

Listen now. 🎧

#HighStakes #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwnership #WealthBuilding #Mindset #SmallBusiness #GenerationalWealth

🚨 LIVE TOMORROW: High Stakes with Steve Rosenberg 🚨

Tomorrow we’re going deep.

On this episode of High Stakes with Steve Rosenberg, Steve sits down with Mahesh M. Thakur — former executive at Microsoft, Amazon, GoDaddy, and Intuit — now an executive coach helping leaders win in high-pressure environments.

💥 From competing against Google in the early Bing days

💥 To leading through COVID as a first-time VP

💥 To coaching C-suite leaders on alignment, AI strategy, and stakeholder trust

This conversation is about more than business.

It’s about pressure.

It’s about clarity.

It’s about leveling up when everything feels uncertain.

If you’re a founder, executive, entrepreneur — or simply navigating your own high-stakes season — this episode is for you.

🧠 Topics we cover:

• How leaders lose alignment (and how to fix it)

• Why AI should enhance people — not replace them

• The “Zen state” Mahesh used to lead through chaos

• What to do when you hit your capacity limit

• Why leaders are never broken — just navigating

⏰ We’re going LIVE tomorrow!

Turn on notifications and join us in real time.

Because the person next to you has a story…

And sometimes, asking the question changes everything.

#HighStakes #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #Entrepreneurship #AI #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of High Stakes with Steve Rozenberg, Steve sits down with Dr. Bushra Khan —professor, speaker, entrepreneur, and leader—to talk about the chapters that actually shape us.

Everyone has a story.

Most people never tell it.

From being kicked out of university (twice) to becoming a professor…

From self-doubt and imposter syndrome to purpose, faith, and leadership…

From survival mode to building a life rooted in service, integrity, and courage.

This conversation dives deep into:

• Identity beyond titles

• Letting go of beliefs that hold you back

• Leadership, resilience, and emotional intelligence

• Why fear and doubt might actually be signs of growth

• What it really means to live with integrity

If you’ve ever felt stuck, questioned your path, or wondered “Is this really who I’m meant to be?” — this episode is for you.

🎧 Watch now and lean into your next chapter.

Success isn’t just about achievements — it’s about the stories we share and the space we create for others to grow. ✨

For years, I chased constant achievement. But the real breakthrough came when I learned to slow down, embrace solitude, and allow vulnerability to guide me.

During a challenging swim, I stopped and found myself surrounded by schools of stingrays. In that quiet moment, it hit me: sometimes you have to pause to find your direction. 🧘‍♀️

A truly successful life is less about doing and more about being — trusting yourself, releasing what no longer serves you, and creating space for what’s next.

Have you ever had to pause and re-center? Drop a 🌟 if growth and authenticity matter to you, and share your moment in the comments 👇

The most powerful stories are often the ones we dare to share when no one’s watching.

Every person has a story—we just rarely stop long enough to ask.

In this episode, Steve sits down with Dr. Michelle Johnston, leadership professor, author, and connection expert, for a powerful conversation about identity, leadership, and why connection is the missing link in business and life.

From growing up constantly moving, to redefining leadership beyond titles and résumés, this episode dives deep into what it really means to lead with humanity in a world driven by speed and technology.

✨ If you believe leadership starts with listening—and success starts with connection—this one’s for you.

🎧 Tune in now.

In this High Stakes conversation, Saahil Mehta breaks down what most leaders get wrong about success.

Saahil is a global entrepreneur, bestselling author, and elite leadership coach who works with founders and CEOs across 25+ countries — many running multi-million-dollar enterprises. His mission is simple but uncommon: scale without sacrifice.

In this episode, we go beyond tactics and talk about the real game of leadership — clarity, decision-making under pressure, and building power without burnout. Saahil shares how navigating business across continents and summiting mountains like Kilimanjaro and Elbrus shaped his approach to peak performance and conscious leadership.

We also dive into his book BREAK FREE, where he exposes the internal limits — fear, self-sabotage, and identity traps — that quietly cap most leaders long before the market does.

If you’re a CEO, founder, or operator who refuses to choose between growth and fulfillment, this episode will challenge how you think, lead, and scale.

🎧 High stakes. Real leadership. Zero regrets.

Today on the High Stakes Podcast, I’m joined by Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions., Brett helps business owners and real estate investors defer capital gains taxes when selling highly appreciated assets. He’s the best-selling author of Building a Capital Gains Tax Exit Plan and host of the Build It to Billions and Capital Gains Tax Solutions podcasts.

Brett is one of the few professionals in the world who has closed Deferred Sales Trusts, Delaware Statutory Trusts, and 1031 Exchanges. He’s closed over half a billion dollars in real estate transactions and was the first to help Bitcoin investors defer millions in capital gains taxes.

Today, we’re talking about how to maximize wealth through smart real estate exit strategies.”

🎙️ High Stakes with Steve Rozenberg 🎙️

Every person has a story—you just have to be willing to listen.

In this episode, I sit down with Mikey Taylor to talk about failure, reinvention, leadership, and what it really takes to pivot through life’s toughest seasons. From pro skateboarder to entrepreneur, investor, and mayor, Mikey breaks down why success is built on discipline, belief, and staying in the game when things get hard.

Hours of failure.

Moments of doubt.

One powerful mindset shift.

This conversation is a reminder that failure is normal, persistence is rare, and purpose changes everything.

👉 Tune in to High Stakes and hear the full story.