This week the crew tackles a topic that’s gaining steam in our vicinity: needs and trends in the growing real estate developer market. As Crowdinvesting grows in popularity, new needs and opportunities have sprung up as well. From managing the inbound and outbound flow of funds to keeping your investors in the loop after the deal closes, growth has brought a new set of problems. We discuss some of the pain points that have come from this expanding market of small to mid-sized real estate deals. Tune in to hear how Vicinity is thinking through these challenges and learn how investors can nab this new asset class in the process.

Doug and Laurie Duncan join the podcast to give us a peek behind the curtain of a real-life family business takeover. They share what joys and challenges come with running a family business along with the lessons they've learned making the shift from employees to owners. We discuss how they navigated respecting and preserving the local family reputation while maintaining a steady, persistent pursuit of improvement as they prepared to take on the business. Tune in to hear how they balance family with building a better business for their kids.

The Vicinity team discusses how to evaluate an opportunity by going inside the mind of a business owner. Where do you start, what challenges do you tackle first, and how do you prioritize as you go? What does it really mean to "fail fast, fail cheap" and do your investors really care? This episode digs into all these questions and attempts to give clarity around the pursuit of opportunity evaluation with a simple takeaway question: Does the business create value that's worth paying for? Tune in and tell us what you think!

Alek Kocevski joins the podcast to tell his remarkable story of turning heartbreaking rejection into a thriving, unique small business. What do bio-medicine, 3000-year-old art traditions, and entrepreneurship have in common? They're all part of Alek's ongoing story about finding new paths every time a door closes in his face. To Alek, failures weren't something to dwell on or be embarrassed about, they're all part of the entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to hear about Alek's process of turning passion into profit.

Zeb tells his story of building Bricolage, a vertically integrated glass recycling startup in Greenville SC. “Vertically integrated" Zeb explains, is a just fancy way of saying they handle the entire recycling process. Bricolage starts with the collection of glass, handles manufacturing of the end product (sand), and closes the loop by selling it back into the community. Zeb shares how his decade of global supply chain experience led him to this solution and how a decline in municipal recycling programs is creating growing opportunities in the private market.

Ths week the Vicinty team sits down for a discussion on recent trends across Regulation Crowdfunding. While many funding portals have faded away (16 to be exact) specialization has been key to show value for the growing pool of Regulation Crowdfunding investors. Our conversation takes us into Vicinity's place in the funding world and our mission to create a local asset class everyone can access.

This week's guests are another husband and wife duo with a knack for creativity and commitment to not taking themselves too seriously. We dig into what makes their small biz, Naked Pasta, so different and how they use local ingredients to craft one-of-a-kind culinary experiences. While "Having Fun" might not make most businesses' top priorities, for Chris & Brett, it's how they keep things interesting for themselves and how they keep their customers coming back for more pasta. Come by Fireforge Crafted Beer in Greenville, SC to hear Brett lead trivia at Vicinity's first in-person event on Thursday 7/22 @5:30 pm! RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1109941142862534

Today's episode recap reads a bit of a love story: a restless programmer on his search for the perfect job meets a spunky English major making her own way in the world of sales and marketing. They begin hatching a plan of escape from the corporate world, forging their future with progress notebooks, personal dining adventures, and a running list of target locations. All the while, brewing up the perfect recipe(s) for success in their kitchen. Over the course of 15 years, they finally craft the perfect plan to serve up the world's greatest beer experience. Tune in to hear how Nicole & Brian built Fireforge (their current-day date-night destination) on their mantra: "Create with passion. Serve with enthusiasm."

Investment crowdfunding regulations don't often change, but when they do, the impacts are usually significant for investors. Today the Vicinity team sits down to discuss the importance "Testing The Waters" - one of the latest additions to Regulation Crowdfunding. In short, it allows companies raising capital to discuss their raise publically before going through the process of filing a securities expemtion. Tune in to get the low down on how the new rule works and hear what makes this change so significant.

Garrett Coyne, a local real estate developer in Huntsville AL shares his take on the booming real estate market. Even with a mix of commercial and residential deals, there is a common thread through Garrett's projects. His strategy always starts a deep understanding of his community and keeps a close eye on the trends of the neighborhoods he invests in. Tune in to hear why Garrett is so excited about the Huntsville market and how he's using his love of community to make the most of this boom.