In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Nathan Janocka, a Central Virginia investor who went from nearly losing everything in construction to flipping over 80 properties a year and building a thriving real estate company rooted in discipline, systems, and humility.

Nathan shares how he learned to rebuild after early failure, what it really takes to scale a flipping operation, and how he’s using that momentum to move into infill new construction and build-to-rent development. We also dig into the mindset behind sustainable growth—why bigger isn’t always better, how to stay in control as your business expands, and the importance of building something that fits your life, not the other way around.

If you’re an investor ready to grow your real estate business without losing balance or burning out, this episode is packed with honest lessons, practical systems, and the real numbers behind building a lasting investing operation.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:36 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:45 From construction to entrepreneurship: starting a company in 2010 and failing fast

07:19 Leaving the W-2 job and going all in on real estate in 2022

10:20 How Nathan’s previous project management experience helped his flips

12:20 Lessons from early mistakes and the importance of financial systems

13:53 Building proper accounting, QuickBooks, and understanding balance sheets

15:14 Scaling from a few flips to 15+ active projects while holding a full-time job

17:13 Finding deals through realtors, networking groups, and consistent follow-ups

21:06 Surviving market shifts and adjusting strategies when margins tighten

23:40 The buy-and-hold formula that works: how Nathan decides which rentals to keep

25:31 Using cost segregation, depreciation, and long-term planning for tax advantages

27:07 Growing 100% year-over-year and setting limits before things spiral

30:02 Building a lean but effective team: project managers, subs, and systems

32:53 The struggle to delegate and why backend operations matter most

36:02 Finding balance: enjoying the business but learning to let go of tasks

38:21 Shifting into infill construction and using marketing to source land deals

39:02 The power of telling everyone what you’re looking for in real estate

41:47 Using reputation, referrals, and relationships to drive deal flow

43:05 Building long-term partnerships with realtors and paying full commissions

47:04 Setting realistic goals and recognizing that bigger isn’t always better

50:20 Learning when to slow down, control growth, and focus on efficiency

53:11 The importance of tracking every deal and learning from every miss

56:15 Embracing AI and automation to streamline repetitive processes

59:50 Where Nathan is operating and what projects are coming down the pipeline

Quotables

“The more you pull that lever and the harder you pull it, the more stuff just comes at you.”

“I failed miserably. I had construction experience, but I didn’t know how to run it as a business.”

“You don’t need a hundred different deal sources. You need five good ones and consistency.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com