"Inspired to Invest" Podcast

Your pitch deck might get you into the room. What's underneath it determines what happens next. 

So what actually makes a business investment ready? 

And what are investors looking for once they get beyond your story, projections and pitch? 

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Scott Winston is here for Episode 167. To watch rather than listen, click here.

On this episode of Inspired To Invest, I'm joined by Scott Winston, Co-Founder of MYCOBI, who is challenging the traditional capital-raising process and working to end what he calls "pitch-deck theater." 

Scott brings more than 30 years of operational experience and over $10 BILLION in transaction volume across M&A and capital raises. 

His career has spanned Motorola, PwC, Accenture Venture Launch and Washington Mutual, giving him a front-row seat to companies at dramatically different stages of growth. 

And after decades of evaluating businesses, one of his biggest lessons is surprisingly simple: 

Execution matters. 

Are you attracting customers? 

Are you solving real problems? 

Are you creating additional value? 

Can you prove traction? 

And if an investor starts digging beneath your pitch deck, is there evidence supporting the story you've been telling? 

Today, Scott and MYCOBI are taking this concept even further by developing a 0–1000 Investment Readiness Diagnostic. 

Scott compares the concept to something almost everyone understands: a credit score. 

Decades ago, lending often depended heavily on your relationship with your banker. 

Today, standardized information helps lenders assess borrowers. 

Scott believes private capital could benefit from a similar framework for evaluating whether companies are actually prepared for investment. 

Their framework examines five core areas: 

💰 Financials 

⚙️ Operations 

🏛️ Governance 

📈 Market 

🚀 Traction 

But the score isn't intended to simply tell entrepreneurs whether they've passed or failed. 

It's designed to create a roadmap. 

Where are you now? 

Where do you want to go? 

What's missing? 

And what needs to happen before your business is ready for outside investment? 

We also get into something almost every entrepreneur eventually experiences: 

blind spots. 

When you're emotionally invested in the business, seeing it objectively can be incredibly difficult. 

Scott explains why advisors, mentors and experienced outside perspectives can help founders identify weaknesses they may never see themselves. 

We also talk about: 

→ Why execution separates growing businesses from struggling ones 

→ How AI is accelerating the way businesses can scale 

→ What Scott learned working across massive corporations and smaller entrepreneurial companies 

→ Why systems become increasingly important as businesses grow 

→ Why investors can bring far more value to smaller businesses than simply writing a cheque 

→ Why relationships can become some of your most valuable long-term business assets 

→ And the unusual business opportunity Scott once had derailed by ISIS 

And then there's Scott's rather unforgettable business philosophy: 

"Suck less every day." 

Funny? Yes. 

But there's a serious lesson behind it. 

Businesses don't have to become extraordinary overnight. 

They need to keep getting better. 

🎙️ If you're an entrepreneur preparing to raise capital, an investor evaluating private opportunities or a business owner trying to build something genuinely scalable, this episode will challenge you to think beyond the pitch deck. 

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if AI doesn’t eliminate entrepreneurship…but creates its golden age?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Nikki Barua is here for Episode 166. To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I sit down with Nikki Barua, CEO and Co-Founder of FlipWork, serial entrepreneur, author and transformation strategist, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing entrepreneurship, leadership and the future of work. 

Nikki has spent her career at the intersection of technology and transformation. After starting in corporate, she took the leap into entrepreneurship, built multiple companies and ultimately launched FlipWork, her fourth business. 

Her perspective on AI is different from much of what we hear today. 

The biggest challenge may not be learning how to use AI. 

It may be unlearning the ways we’ve always worked. 

Nikki shares why FlipWork's research has identified identity as a major source of resistance to AI adoption and why embracing AI requires people to rethink how they define productivity, expertise and even hard work. 

We also explore how Nikki is building FlipWork as an AI-native company, prioritizing AI before automatically adding traditional headcount as the company grows. 

But AI isn't a replacement for human judgment. 

As Nikki puts it, greater intelligence doesn't necessarily mean greater wisdom. Knowing when AI can operate independently and when a human needs to remain in the loop could become one of the defining skills of the AI era. 

We also dive into: 

🤖 Why AI adoption requires unlearning old ways of working 

🚀 How to build an AI-native business 

👥 Why future leaders may manage humans AND AI agents 

🧠 Where human judgment still matters 

📈 How companies could increase capacity with fewer employees 

💡 Why AI could lower the barriers to entrepreneurship 

🔥 Why entrepreneurs should “wish for bigger problems” 

🔄 How rejection can become redirection 

🏆 How losing 11 consecutive deals led to a multimillion-dollar win 

🌎 Why Nikki believes we may be entering a golden age of entrepreneurship 

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, business owner or professional wondering how AI will impact your career, this conversation offers a very different way to think about the future. 

The old playbook is changing. 

The bigger opportunity may be figuring out what you can do with the new one.

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if climbing the corporate ladder is helping you earn more... but isn't getting you any closer to the life you actually want?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Martin Kuev is here for Episode 165. To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I sit down with Martin Kuev, a real estate investor, broker, educator, entrepreneur, author and co-founder of the Vaughan Investors Club. 

After spending nearly two decades building a career inside Fortune 500 companies, Martin found himself confronting the "golden handcuffs." 

He had a successful career, but promotions weren't giving him more freedom. In fact, greater responsibility meant even less time with his growing family. 

Then two major life events changed his perspective. 

His wife told him they were expecting twins, and only six weeks after their daughters were born, Martin's father passed away. 

It forced him to reconsider where his life was heading. 

Rather than immediately quitting his job, Martin began building his real estate investing knowledge and portfolio alongside his corporate career. What he initially thought would take three to five years ultimately allowed him to leave corporate in approximately 18 months. 

Today, Martin helps other professionals understand how real estate can become part of a larger strategy for building wealth, financial independence and a legacy. 

In this episode, we dive into: 

🏠 How Martin transitioned from corporate executive to real estate entrepreneur 

💰 Why leaving a steady paycheque changed his ability to qualify for residential financing 

🏢 The fundamental difference between residential and commercial real estate valuation 

📈 How value-add multifamily investors can create forced appreciation 

🤝 Why Martin waited until he had partners and momentum before leaving corporate 

📊 Why knowing your numbers is critical before purchasing an investment property 

⚠️ How he thinks about investment risk versus fear 

🏗️ What happened when one Hamilton property sat without revenue while waiting for permits during COVID 

👥 Why investor communities can expose you to strategies outside your existing niche 

🧠 Why successful investors need to avoid becoming anchored to yesterday's prices and interest rates 

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 How building wealth became connected to Martin's desire to spend more time with his children 

📚 Why he wrote Build Wealth. Live Life. for the person he was 15 years ago 

If you're a professional who wants to build wealth through real estate but isn't sure how to begin, Martin's biggest message is surprisingly simple: 

Educate yourself first. 

Learn the numbers. Understand the investment. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people. Then make decisions based on analysis rather than fear. 

What would financial freedom allow YOU to do differently with your life?

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can you build wealth while investing in a better future without sacrificing financial returns?

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, Serena Holmes sits down with Claire Smith, a climate fund manager, fintech entrepreneur and impact investor with 40 years of experience in finance and investment.

To watch rather than listen, click here.

Claire is the founder of Beyond Investing, a humane investment platform that designs cruelty-free investment programs in public equity markets, as well as its venture capital arm, Beyond Impact.

After decades in traditional finance, Claire reached a turning point.

She realized there was a disconnect between the causes she personally cared about — including sustainability, climate and animal welfare — and the industries that conventional finance helped fund.

So she decided to bring her personal values and professional expertise together.

Today, Claire is helping reshape the conversation around sustainable investing, ethical investing and impact investing.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ Why Claire walked away from traditional finance to pursue sustainable investing

✅ Whether investors really need to sacrifice returns to invest according to their values

✅ Why Claire believes some traditional ESG investing doesn't go far enough

✅ Why her investment screens eliminate roughly 50% of companies in typical market benchmarks

✅ How Beyond Investing approaches ethical and sustainable portfolio construction

✅ Why venture capital could play an important role in creating a more sustainable economy

✅ Emerging opportunities in biotech, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, materials and animal-free technologies

✅ Why cost and product quality — not simply ethics — could accelerate adoption of sustainable alternatives

✅ What launching an investment product really costs behind the scenes

✅ Why resilience has been one of Claire's greatest lessons as an entrepreneur and investor

✅ How family offices, foundations, charities and individual investors are approaching impact investing

✅ Why resource constraints could reshape industries ranging from energy to agriculture

✅ Why Claire believes food could experience a transformation similar to the adoption of electric vehicles

Claire's story also challenges a common assumption: that investing according to your values automatically means giving up financial performance.

As of early September 2026, Claire shared that her ETF was outperforming its market benchmark over the lifetime of the fund.

This conversation isn't simply about sustainable investing.

It's about understanding where our money goes, what businesses it supports and whether financial capital can become a tool for creating the future we actually want to live in.

Whether you're interested in sustainable investing, ESG investing, ethical investing, venture capital, climate investing, emerging technologies or building wealth with greater intention, this episode will give you plenty to think about.

🔔 If you enjoy conversations about investing, entrepreneurship, wealth and financial freedom, SUBSCRIBE to Inspired To Invest and ring the notification bell so you don't miss an episode.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction

03:16 – Meet climate fund manager and impact investor Claire Smith

04:30 – From traditional finance to sustainable investing

06:00 – How money can contribute to environmental problems

07:11 – Investing in sustainable startups and emerging technologies

09:41 – Can sustainable investing deliver competitive returns?

10:54 – Why Claire's investment screens eliminate roughly 50% of the market

13:30 – The challenges and contradictions of traditional ESG investing

14:45 – Claire's biggest lesson: resilience

16:02 – The technologies Claire believes could reshape consumer products

18:00 – The hidden rise of animal-free ingredients and biotechnology

20:00 – What consumers may not realize is inside everyday products

21:41 – The surprising realities of launching investment funds

23:00 – Family offices and investors putting their values behind their capital

24:45 – Resource constraints, sustainability and the future of investing

27:00 – How quickly sustainable technologies could reach mainstream adoption

29:00 – Why authenticity matters in business and investing

29:30 – Claire's proudest achievement and the future of Beyond Investing

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for expert insights on business, branding, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

#SustainableInvesting #ImpactInvesting #EthicalInvesting #ESGInvesting #SustainableFinance

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Could manufactured housing be one of the most misunderstood opportunities in real estate investing?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Leo Young is here for Episode 163. To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I sit down with Leo Young, Founder & Managing Partner of Cornell Communities, a private equity real estate firm focused on revitalizing manufactured housing communities across eight U.S. states.

With more than $75 million in real estate transactions, institutional private equity experience and hands-on operational leadership, Leo has seen real estate from both sides of the table: institutional capital allocation and entrepreneurial ownership.

But his path into real estate wasn't conventional.

Leo studied finance before taking a career risk and joining Tesla in sales. As an introvert, he saw sales as an opportunity to become a stronger communicator. He became a top regional performer, but burnout eventually pushed him to find a way to generate income without constantly clocking in.

That search led him to real estate.

After becoming a licensed real estate professional, Leo joined a fund deploying capital nationwide, where he learned how institutional investors evaluate assets, locations, risk, budgets and capital allocation.

Today, he's applying those lessons to an often misunderstood corner of real estate: manufactured housing communities.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✅ Why Leo transitioned from Tesla sales into real estate investing
✅ How institutional investors evaluate real estate differently from retail investors
✅ Why manufactured housing caught Leo's attention
✅ How manufactured housing can help preserve affordable housing
✅ How the land-lease business model works
✅ Why residents typically own their homes while Cornell owns and manages the land
✅ What Leo looks for when evaluating markets and communities
✅ How regulations, taxes, utilities and capital expenditures affect investments
✅ Why affordability needs to be balanced with reinvestment
✅ The challenges of building a private equity real estate firm
✅ How Cornell aligns its interests with passive investors
✅ Why people, processes and teams can be harder to manage than real estate
✅ Why scale matters when building a sustainable investment business
✅ How Leo achieved personal financial independence through investment cash flow
✅ Why financial independence and being "work optional" aren't the same thing

One comment really stood out to me.

Leo describes himself as "work mandatory times five" because his job as an active operator is to help make his investors work optional.

It's a refreshingly different perspective in an online world filled with passive-income promises.

Real estate may create financial freedom, but building the company that creates that freedom for other people requires an entirely different level of responsibility.

Whether you're an accredited investor, real estate entrepreneur or simply curious about alternative real estate asset classes, this conversation provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of manufactured housing investing.

Thank you to ClicknPark and Fingerprint.to for bringing us this month’s episodes.

Parking in Toronto just got easier with ClicknPark and their pre-booking app. Download it on the Playstore or Appstore

And! You’re probably overdue for a seach on yourself. Use fingerprint.to (https://fingerprint.to/) to find out what information is publicly accessible with current and past emails accounts and usernames.

🔔 If you enjoy conversations about real estate investing, entrepreneurship, passive income and building long-term wealth, subscribe to Inspired To Invest and ring the notification bell so you don't miss an episode.

👍 Like the episode
💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway
🔔 Subscribe and ring the bell
📲 Share this episode with someone exploring alternative real estate investments

➕ Follow  @serenaholmesofficial  for expert insights on business, branding, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if one of the most overlooked real estate assets could help you create income, flexibility and financial freedom—without tenants, toilets and traditional rental-property headaches?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Brent Bowers is here for Episode 162. To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I sit down with former Army Officer turned real estate investor and coach Brent Bowers to explore how he built a thriving business buying and selling vacant land.

While preparing for his third combat deployment, Brent knew something needed to change. He was working long days, spending extended periods away from his children and looking for a way to generate income without constantly trading his time for money.

Then he discovered land investing.

Today, Brent is deliberately simplifying his business and applying the 80/20 rule to his portfolio.

He's selling rental properties that have consumed disproportionate amounts of his time, created stress and even resulted in lawsuits, while focusing more heavily on the parts of real estate he enjoys—and that generate the greatest financial returns.

That includes vacant land flipping, land development and placing brand-new manufactured homes on land to help address the affordable housing gap.

In this episode, we discuss:

✅ How Brent transitioned from the Army into real estate investing
✅ Why vacant land became his preferred investment strategy
✅ How he found motivated landowners through tax-delinquent property lists
✅ How some early land deals turned hundreds of dollars into thousands
✅ How seller financing can create recurring monthly payments
✅ Why Brent says truly “passive income” is largely a myth
✅ The land-investing due diligence investors can't afford to overlook
✅ Why road access, building permits, water and electricity matter
✅ How Brent expanded from land flipping into development
✅ Why he's placing manufactured homes on land to create affordable housing
✅ Why scaling to 16 employees wasn't the freedom he expected
✅ The danger of building a business for ego instead of lifestyle
✅ Why he's now selling many of his rental properties
✅ How he's applying the 80/20 rule to money, time and stress
✅ The importance of coaching and continuously investing in yourself
✅ Why financial freedom isn't necessarily about owning the biggest portfolio

If you're interested in land investing, real estate investing, seller financing, financial freedom, affordable housing or building a real estate business that supports your lifestyle, this episode offers a very different perspective on what successful investing can look like.

Thank you to Fixonto and User Interview for bringing us this month's episodes of Inspired To Invest. 

FixOnto helps homeowners find reputable service providers in seconds! For more, download the FixOnto app!

Get paid for your opinion with User Interviews! To find a range of studies available in 34 countries, go to https://userinterviews.com

🔔 Subscribe to Inspired To Invest and ring the notification bell so you don't miss future conversations with investors and entrepreneurs sharing the strategies—and lessons—that helped them build wealth.

And remember: when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit. 🚀

#LandInvesting #RealEstateInvesting #FinancialFreedom #SellerFinancing #WealthBuilding

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when you build a real estate fortune… and then lose approximately $50 MILLION?

For Rod Khleif, the answer was to rebuild—but this time with some very different rules.

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Rod Khleif is here for Episode 161. To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I'm joined by longtime real estate investor, entrepreneur, best-selling author, mentor and podcast host Rod Khleif to unpack more than four decades of lessons about real estate investing, multifamily properties, mindset, resilience and building sustainable wealth.

Rod's story began when his family immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands when he was six.

Money was tight. His mother babysat children to help make ends meet, and Rod remembers drinking powdered milk and wearing second-hand clothing.

Then his mother bought a house.

When she later told 17-year-old Rod she'd made $20,000 while she slept because the property appreciated, something clicked.

Real estate became his path forward.

Rod went on to own thousands of properties and build tremendous wealth. In 2006 alone, he says his net worth increased by approximately $17 million.

Then came 2008.

Rod ultimately lost approximately $50 million.

In this candid conversation, he explains WHY his portfolio collapsed despite having relatively low leverage—and why his apartment properties actually performed considerably better than his single-family portfolio.

We get into:

🏢 Why Rod ultimately chose multifamily over single-family real estate

💰 How he lost approximately $50 million during the financial crisis

🧠 Why he believes mindset and psychology drive the majority of success

📉 The investment decisions he would never repeat today

🏠 Why owning 800 houses created enormous operational challenges

⚠️ The dangers of cross-collateralizing real estate assets

💵 Why cash reserves and capitalization matter more than many investors realize

📈 How dramatically operating expenses have changed in multifamily

🏦 Why adjustable-rate bridge debt created problems for investors as interest rates climbed

🤝 Why Rod believes real estate investing is a "team sport"

🎓 Why education and proximity to successful investors can shorten your learning curve

💸 Why learning to raise capital can open opportunities far beyond real estate

🔥 How distressed multifamily properties may be creating opportunities for today's investors

Rod also shares some incredible examples of what's happening in the market—including a 300-unit apartment property that sold for $43 million in 2021 before eventually going back to the bank and returning to market at a dramatically lower valuation.

His message is particularly relevant for investors navigating today's uncertainty:

Crisis and opportunity can exist at exactly the same time.

The goal isn't simply to accumulate properties.

It's to understand debt, operations, risk, people and your own psychology well enough to build something capable of surviving when the market inevitably changes.

🎙️ Subscribe to Inspired To Invest for more conversations with investors and entrepreneurs sharing the strategies, mistakes and lessons behind building lasting wealth.

Thank you to Fixonto and User Interview for bringing us this month's episodes of Inspired To Invest. 

FixOnto helps homeowners find reputable service providers in seconds! For more, download the FixOnto app!

Get paid for your opinion with User Interviews! To find a range of studies available in 34 countries, go to https://userinterviews.com

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for expert insights on business, branding, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

#MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstateInvesting #WealthBuilding #InvestorMindset #FinancialFreedom

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can media exposure actually grow your business or is it just another vanity metric?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Dominic Forth is here for Episode 160. 

To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, I sit down with Dominic Forth, former BBC and U.S. network television journalist, founder of Thought Leaders America and creator of the Media Millionaire methodology, to unpack how entrepreneurs can use earned media, personal branding and strategic storytelling to build authority and generate measurable business growth.

Dominic's journey started with a fascination for media in the UK before bringing him to the United States, where he worked across radio, television, advertising and media research.

Eventually, the relationships and knowledge he'd accumulated throughout his career created an entirely new opportunity.

Dominic bet on himself.

He went from working inside the media industry to helping entrepreneurs navigate it—and ultimately built Thought Leaders America into a seven-figure business without relying on paid advertising, bank financing or outside investment.

But Dominic believes getting featured on television, podcasts or other media is only the beginning.

In our conversation, he explains why visibility without the right message doesn't necessarily translate into revenue.

Then there are two stories you probably won't expect.

Dominic shares how he and two friends bought a private island in Florida during COVID from a distressed seller—an asset he says has since increased substantially in value.

And he recounts a terrifying honeymoon experience on Africa's Zambezi River, when a punctured raft flipped in Class V rapids and left him trapped underwater.

That experience gave Dominic a framework he still applies to entrepreneurship today:

Calm → Clarity → Courage.

By learning to regulate his response to stressful situations, Dominic believes he can create the clarity necessary to make better decisions—and find the courage to act on them.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✅ Why media exposure alone doesn't create business growth

If you're an entrepreneur, founder, CEO, investor or business owner trying to build a stronger personal brand, earn meaningful media exposure and turn your expertise into authority, this episode is for you.

Connect with him at @dominic-forth on LinkedIn and https://www.thoughtleadersamerica.com/ online.  

🔔 Subscribe to Inspired To Invest and ring the notification bell so you don't miss future conversations about entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, business and building wealth.

Thank you to Fixonto and User Interview for bringing us this month's episodes of Inspired To Invest. 

FixOnto helps homeowners find reputable service providers in seconds! For more, download the FixOnto app!

Get paid for your opinion with User Interviews! To find a range of studies available in 34 countries, go to https://userinterviews.com

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for expert insights on business, branding, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

#PersonalBranding #MediaStrategy #ThoughtLeadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens after you've built a successful business?  

For many entrepreneurs, that's when an entirely new challenge begins.

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, Eliot Vancil is here for Episode 159. 

To watch rather than listen, click here.

In this episode of Inspired To Invest, Serena Holmes sits down with serial entrepreneur Eliot Vancil, who built and sold multiple technology companies before scaling Fuel Logic into a nationwide mobile fuel delivery company serving commercial clients across the United States.

Rather than spending his profits, Eliot used strategic real estate investing, cost segregation, and long-term asset ownership to preserve wealth, reduce taxes, and create financial freedom. Today his portfolio includes approximately 350 rental units and a boutique hotel in Colorado.  

In this episode you'll learn:  

✅ How Eliot built and exited multiple successful businesses  

✅ Why leadership—not hustle—is the key to scaling  

✅ The importance of company culture and developing future leaders  

✅ Why recurring revenue creates stronger businesses  

✅ How entrepreneurs can use real estate to build lasting wealth  

✅ An easy-to-understand explanation of cost segregation  

✅ Why systems are more valuable than micromanagement  

✅ How to build a business that doesn't depend on you  

✅ The role mentorship and peer groups played in Eliot's success  

✅ Lessons on entrepreneurship, legacy, freedom, and generational wealth  

Whether you're building your first company, scaling an existing business, or looking for smarter ways to invest your profits, this episode offers practical insights from someone who has successfully done all three.  

Connect with him at @fuellogic on social and www.fuellogic.net online.    

Thank you to Fixonto and User Interview for bringing us this month's episodes of Inspired To Invest.  

FixOnto helps homeowners find reputable service providers in seconds! For more, download the FixOnto app!  

Get paid for your opinion with User Interviews! To find a range of studies available in 34 countries, go to https://userinterviews.com  

👍 If you enjoyed this conversation, please LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to the channel, and don't forget to click the 🔔 notification bell so you never miss a future episode of Inspired To Invest. 

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the greatest investment you'll ever make isn't in real estate, stocks, or a business…

What if it's in your relationships?

Welcome back to another episode of Inspired To Invest! This week, David Homan is here for Episode 158. To watch rather than listen, click here.

David is the founder and CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, Orchestrated Opportunities, and SOAR CONNECT, to explore why authentic relationships have become one of the most valuable currencies in today's business world.

David has spent more than a decade building an exclusive global network spanning 35 countries and nearly 200 cities, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, family offices, business leaders, philanthropists, athletes, and creators through one simple philosophy:

Give first. Build trust. Create value.

Rather than treating networking as a transactional exercise, David believes relationships should be intentionally cultivated over time. He explains why patience, gratitude, generosity, and strategic introductions consistently lead to opportunities that money simply can't buy.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, real estate investor, capital raiser, business owner, or someone looking to build a stronger personal and professional network, this conversation will challenge the way you think about networking forever.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✅ Why authentic relationships outperform transactional networking

✅ The difference between collecting contacts and building genuine trust

✅ How strategic introductions can create life-changing opportunities years later

✅ Why gratitude is one of the most underrated business strategies

✅ The importance of giving without expecting immediate returns

✅ How David built a global community of thousands of influential connectors

✅ The philosophy behind "relationship value" and why it creates exponential returns

✅ Lessons from raising capital through trust instead of cold pitching

✅ How to identify genuine givers versus people who only take

✅ Why patience is one of the greatest competitive advantages in business

✅ Building communities rooted in integrity instead of exclusivity

✅ The mindset shifts required to become someone others naturally want to introduce

David also shares incredible stories about creating meaningful introductions, building trust among some of the world's most influential business leaders, and how his background as a classical composer shaped the way he thinks about human connection.

If you're serious about growing your business, raising capital, expanding your network, or becoming a more intentional leader, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

👍 If you enjoyed this conversation, please LIKE the video, SHARE it with someone who values authentic relationships, and SUBSCRIBE to Inspired To Invest for weekly conversations with successful entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders.

🔔 Don't forget to ring the notification bell so you never miss a new episode!

I'd love to hear from you in the comments:

What is the most valuable relationship you've ever built and how did it change your life or business?

Thank you to Lenscasa for bringing us this month's episodes of Inspired To Invest. Edit listing photos from your phone in under 30 minutes. LensCasa delivers pro-quality real estate photo editing at 70%+ less than a photographer. For more, go to https://lens.casa/ 

Thanks so much for watching!

➕ Follow Serena Holmes for all things related to business, entrepreneurship, real estate, investing, wealth (and more!). I'm on a mission to help others create wealth because "when you invest in yourself, the sky's the limit" 🚀

__________________

Attention Real Estate Investors! Raise your first (or next) $1-3 million in the next 90 days without relying on the bank, joint ventures, private lenders or cold calls. Learn more about this proven system!

__________________

Want to invest in real estate with all of the security and cash flow of ownership, but none of the landlord headaches? Learn more about SHARE, one of the largest asset management companies in the United States, with a turnkey "done for you" ownership program for investors. Find out more!

__________________

Financial Advisors! Let me introduce you to your new secret weapon to help you land new clients, and maintain them for many years to come. Advisor Innovation Lab provides AI powered client intelligence for modern financial advisors to help them become trusted partners through life’s most important transitions.

__________________

How would you like to get paid for your opinion?! Sign up with User Interviews & start earning!

__________________

📧 Sign Up For My Monthly ROI Report on LinkedIn! It's loaded with valuable content for buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners.

__________________

💰 Turn content into connection! At Executive Lens, we curate compelling content to help busy business owners, executives, and investors build powerful personal brands on LinkedIn and beyond. After all, attraction is the ultimate flex!

💫Download our FREE EBOOK - The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Personal Brand On Linked 💫

__________________

🎙️Want To Be Featured On Podcasts Ranking In The Top 5%? Find Out How You Can Get Featured To Build Your Personal Brand. Find out more about That1💯

__________________

🚀 CHECK OUT MORE INCREDIBLE CONTENT ON ‘INSPIRED TO INVEST” 🚀
👉🏼YouTube & Instagram

__________________

LET’S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA 💥

→ Instagram
→ LinkedIn
→ TikTok
→ Online

Serena Holmes is a licensed REALTOR®, real estate investor, real estate investing coach, podcast host, published author and chief content officer of Executive Lens. She is also the former CEO of Tigris Events, a multi award winning brand experience agency.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.