POWERS

Greg Gordon has a rich history in construction as a third-generation builder with over 25 years of industry experience. He started his career in shell construction and eventually transitioned to commercial interiors before founding Gordon Highlander in 2007.

Under Greg’s leadership Gordon Highlander has experienced tremendous growth and received numerous awards as a result. But Greg’s true passion is for people and the relationships developed with both his team and clients. With a servant leadership approach to business, he has built a team of leaders who take ownership and pride in their work. It’s a reflect the organization’s mission of “building a legacy of helping others reach their God-given potential”. Greg attributes Gordon Highlander’s success to this culture model.

On this episode Chris and Greg Discuss:

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Links:

Gordon Highlander

Greg on LinkedIn

Topics:

(3:22) - Gordo’s experience as 3rd generation in the Construction industry

(5:12) - What does Gordon Highlander do?

(7:57) - What is a “Gordon Highlander”?

(10:03) - How has Industrial Finish-out evolved since ’07?

(15:10) - At what point in development does GH get involved?

(18:18) - What does a perfect project look like to you?

(19:44) - How do you budget a project in this market?

(23:45) - Are there any permanent changes to the industry since 2020?

(28:00) - What do people need to unlearn?

(31:42) - What are you seeing in Industrial innovation?

(36:47) - Developing the GH/Amazon relationship

(46:25) - How do you think about the final days of a project?

(47:15) - What are you seeing in the market?

(51:40) - What’s different in building office within industrial and office in a place like Old-Parkland?

(54:52) - How do you think about change orders?

(56:35) - The headlines vs. reality pertaining to Amazon slowing down development

(58:24) - How do you think about legacy, servant leadership and culture?

(1:06:51) - Teaching culture at Gordon Highlander

(1:11:36) - Advice for young people

(1:12:49) - Friendship, business

(1:18:00) - Pain distorts your memory

(1:19:51) - Treating your employees like people

Sarah has 20 years of experience in office brokerage in the DFW region. Prior to founding Thirty-Four Commercial, she was previously a Principal at Peloton Commercial Real Estate (acquired by JLL in 2019) and an Associate at Transwestern. Sarah graduated from Miami University before relocating to Dallas, Texas in 2003.

Sarah focuses her life on wellness and balance. In 2018, she obtained a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification. Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and children, as well as traveling whenever their schedule allows.

On this episode, Chris and Sarah discuss:

Links:

Thirty-Four Commercial

The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren

Topics:

(3:21) - Sarah’s career & background

(30:11) - What did you learn selling gym memberships that translate to any sales position?

(33:01) - What does good training look like for people early in their RE career?

(37:53) - How do you build trust with owners?

(47:50) - How would you describe the office market today?

(59:40) - What’s your process of working in development?

(1:01:40) - Where do people waste money in office development?

(1:07:53) - How do you approach marketing?

(1:11:22) - When are you able to start leasing a building?

(1:16:36) - Is there a point where you realize a deal isn’t going to get done?

(1:18:43) - What’s your role once a new building is fully leased?

(1:20:08) - What needs to happen for a lease to turnover?

(1:23:05) - How do you balance building a family and a business?

Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano is an entrepreneur and technology investor. He has built and sold numerous companies, ran Product & Growth teams at Facebook, and manages a portfolio valued at more than $500 million in early-stage tech companies. He currently runs his family office, which makes private investments and owns majority stakes in several operating businesses.

Anthony also hosts popular conversations on “The Pomp Podcast,” which has been downloaded over 50 million times. Pomp also writes a letter that more than 225,000 investors read each morning. Lastly, Pomp’s interests lie at the intersection of finance, technology, entrepreneurship, and economics, which he tweets about extensively to his more than 1.6 million followers.

On this episode, Chris & Pomp discuss:

Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

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Links:

Pomp on Twitter

PompLetter.com

The Pomp Podcast

(3:40) - Pomp’s time in the Army and lessons learned

(9:18) - Experiences working at Facebook

(12:31) - Tech company bloat

(15:49) - Elon vs. Apple and if there’s a “they” out there

(23:53) - How did you build your online presence?

(28:19) - Have you self-censored since growing this massive audience?

(32:39) - Pomp on shutting down The Best Business Show

(35:47) - Is there a pathway that gets us to an internet that doesn’t incentivize ridiculousness?

(37:49) - How did crypto enter your life?

(41:02) - What is Bitcoin?

(47:43) - Is there any version of the “promise” of Bitcoin that is playing out right now?

(49:30) - Is there a point where the volatility of Bitcoin stops?

(54:32) - Cryptocurrencies and Governments

(1:00:13) - How would you pitch Bitcoin to governments?

(1:08:05) - Breaking down the FTX fiasco

(1:16:59) - Pomp’s experience at a LIV Golf Event

Jon Altschuler is the founder of Altschuler and Company and has been involved in all phases of the firm’s development since its founding in 2009. He started his career with Trammell Crow Company and was the president of Stream Realty Partners. Jon is the chairman of the SMU Dedman College executive board.

Jon is a graduate of Southern Methodist University where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Jon earned his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

On this episode, Chris and John discuss:

Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

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Links:

Jon on LinkedIn

Altschuler + Co.

Topics:

(3:18) - Introducing Jon

(4:50) - What is it about Trammel Crowe that creates so many all-start caliber RE people?

(6:36) - Jon’s career in RE

(8:25) - What was your perspective on the GFC?

(10:41) - What does Altschuler + Co. do?

(11:20) - What was the narrative back in ’07 vs. ’09 from the building-owner perspective?

(14:09) - How would you describe the current market for Office?

(18:37) - Tech-Giant Sub-leases

(20:39) - Stranded Buildings

(22:26) - Do you have any insight on the mounting developer debt?

(23:33) - What do you predict for development?

(24:23) - What are we experiencing in DFW?

(26:21) - What does a great future for Office look like?

(27:11) - Are you seeing any clustering of businesses similar to Old Parkland?

(28:05) - Thoughts on co-working

(30:02) - What’s the difference between a great leasing agent and a terrible one?

(32:47) - What should tenants with 2 years on their lease left be thinking about?

(34:46) - Are there any new amenities that are making buildings more competitive?

(36:08) - What markets pique your interest?

(37:10) - How does your job change as the tenant gets larger?

(38:57) - How are tenants thinking about risk of leasing spaces that aren’t ready?

(41:05) - What are you seeing in capital markets for Office?

(41:45) - What’s the narrative for Dallas?

(42:49) - What would you tell new people in the industry as we stare at a potential downturn?

(44:02) - Who developed your marketing strategy?

(45:14) - How are you preparing your team for the next 2-3 years?

(45:52) - How did you develop your knack to outwork everyone?

(48:28) - Becoming a Global Citizen

(55:11) - What can Fort Worth do better to attract businesses?

Kevin Lackey is the President and CEO of Freedom Powersports, a dealership group based out of Fort Worth, Texas with 13 locations spanning three states. His career in the powersports industry started in 1998 where he worked his way up from a porter to manager to general manager and now owner and operator. Through strong leadership skills, dedication to operational excellence, and commitment to the industry he helped grow Freedom Powersports from $34.8M in sales in 2012 to a project of $157M in sales for 2021. Outside of Freedom Powersports, Kevin is on the Board of Directors for First Financial Bank, Motorcycle Industry Council, Yamaha Financial Services Council, BRP Dealer Advisory Council, Yamaha Financial Services Dealer Council, Texas Motorcycle Dealers Association, YPO Fort Worth Chapter Member and is on the Advisory Board for National Center for Middle Market. In 2019 Kevin was named the Entrepreneur of Excellence for the category of retail for Fort Worth Inc. Magazine and in 2016 he was named to the 40 under 40 by the Fort Worth Business Press. With continued growth on his mind, he has also become an active member of his community in Aledo, TX, started a podcast, and is always looking for the next opportunity. 

On this episode Chris and Kevin discuss:

Links:

Kevin on LinkedIn

Episode #4 of The Fort with Kevin Lackey

The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert

Support our Sponsors:

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Topics:

(3:25) - Reminiscing

(4:54) - How would you describe your business?

(6:02) - What happened to Powersports during Covid?

(9:20) - Why does focus matter so much?

(12:05) - The power of EOS

(17:15) - How did you navigate the Pandemic? 

(30:23) - Is there anything you learned in the early months that will serve you the rest of your life?

(32:58) - When did you start to consider the process of selling the business?

(45:29) - What are the things you’re happy you did to get the business ready for a successful sale?

(49:27) - How did you delegate duties to your CFO?

(51:34) - Net Working Capital

(1:02:16) - Are there things you wish you’d done to get the business ready for a successful sale?

(1:04:22) - The experience of closing on the sale

(1:09:09) - The importance of Fatherhood

David Senra is the Founder of Founders Podcast. David has devoted his career to learning from history's greatest entrepreneurs. 

David is on a mission to document the best ideas from the life and work of history’s most formidable people —and share those lessons through his podcast so others can benefit. He lives in Miami with his wife and two children. 

On this episode, Chris and David discuss:

Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

Support our Sponsors:

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More on David Senra:

David on Twitter

Listen to Founders Podcast

Links to Books, Apps, Websites, etc. Mentioned on this episode:

Sam Walton Autobiography

Paul Graham essays

Jocko Podcast

The Everything Store

Kanye West Netflix documentary

Michael Arrieta on The Fort (Garden City)

Trader Joe’s Autobiography

Readwise App

Becoming Steve Jobs

Charles Kettering Biography

A Man For All Markets

Dark Genius of Wall Street

Topics:

(3:58) - Introducing David

(6:11) - David’s background

(15:32) - David’s passion for reading

(17:00) - Reflecting on how we are shaped by our past

(22:37) - Do you think it’s possible to build a generational business without childhood trauma?

(30:20) - What led to you starting the podcast?

(43:36) - What kept you going during your first 2 years when the show wasn’t profitable?

(1:06:55) - What does a week in the life of David Senra look like?

(1:15:07) - What was it about your appearance on ‘Invest like the Best’ that exploded the show?

(1:20:09) - How big is the opportunity for podcasting?

(1:50:46)- Of everyone you have studied, who is the #1 person in your eyes?

The Fort is produced by Johnny Podcasts 

Cody Campbell is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Double Eagle Energy Holdings III LLC, a partnership formed with Apollo Global Management, and co-founder of Double Eagle Development. 

Campbell began his business career at Texas Tech University, where he and John Sellers founded a successful commercial real estate development firm. He graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s in finance and economics and a master’s in finance. After graduation, he played offensive guard for the Indianapolis Colts.

Campbell is a member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), serves on the Advisory Council for the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech, and serves as a Board Member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife and four children.

On this episode, Chris and Cody discuss:

Support our Sponsors:

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Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

Topics:

(4:31) - Selling Double Eagle 3 to Pioneer

(8:33) - Why was the industry valuing on a price per acre vs. EBITDA?

(10:21) - What do “bits & pieces” mean and how are you able to do it at scale?

(13:12) - Have there been 2 types of oil businesses that emerged since the shale revolution?

(14:01) - Was there ever a moment during the pandemic when you considered not drilling?

(15:00) - When did it become clear that selling was the best option?

(19:20) - What blows up a deal like this?

(20:13) - Starting back up again

(22:02) - What are you seeing in the current state of the energy market?

(30:24) - Is there any shift in the capital markets?

(32:29) - Why has the Biden Admin shifted its stance on domestic production?

(34:49) - How much of an impact does the Russia/Ukraine conflict have?

(36:42) - What are you seeing in the labor market for Energy and Oil & Gas?

(38:57) - How can the industry change its marketing efforts to encourage people to work in this field?

(40:30) - How does this industry bring the rest of the world out of poverty?

(43:21) - What’s happening outside of the US as we globally see energy prices spike?

(44:47) - Even if we all flipped to a pro-oil stance instantly, how deep are we in the hole already?

(47:19) - What are the different acreage tiers in oil fields?

(50:16) - If oil is at $92 today, what’s the rate of return for drilling a well?

(51:50) - Is there any technology on the horizon that will make it easier to get oil out of the ground?

(53:01) - Why did the Kline Shale flop?

(54:55) - Why did the Permian basin end up being such a hit?

(55:48) - Where do you think we will peak in 2023?

(57:02) - What is the NIL within the NCAA?

(1:01:29) - The Matador Club at Texas Tech

(1:04:33) - Is there a worry that the schools with the most capital secede and create their own league?

(1:06:14) - Focusing athletes on their education

(1:08:08) - Who’s making the rules for NIL?

(1:09:05) - What is it that continues to motivate you?

The Fort is produced by Johnny Podcasts

Zamir Kazi started his career in Real Estate in 2013 after attending Florida State University buying and flipping duplexes. He formed Berkshire Property Holdings in 2014 (later rebranded to ZMR Capital) to acquire and redevelop multifamily Real Estate. In the past 9 years, as CEO of ZMR Capital, Zamir has acquired over $1.5B of multifamily assets.

He has been the recipient of Globe Streets 50 under 40 and is an active investor and board member of multiple early-stage companies. Zamir also contributes significant time and resources to several charities.

On this episode Chris and Zamir discuss:

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

Follow The Fort on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheFortPodcast

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Links:

Zamir on LinkedIn

ZMR Capital

Topics:

(3:52) - Zamir’s background and career

(7:05) - What is it about Indian culture that wants their children to become doctors?

(9:17) - How were you financing as you began to do bigger deals and turn this into a firm with employees?

(11:22) - Did you manage properties yourself?

(12:12) - How did you convince people to give you a deal without a track record?

(15:09) - How were sourcing deals and why did you choose the markets you’re in?

(16:40) - Have you stayed 3rd party on Property Management?

(22:47) - What is an ideal Class A or B deal and how do you add value?

(26:02) - Do you outsource construction & asset management?

(27:24) - Do you send PM’s the same chart of accounts or do they each account differently?

(28:15) - Do you have a 90-day game plan after closing a deal?

(29:29) - How do you raise capital today?

(30:25) - How are you thinking about the market right now?

(32:52) - Is bridge debt still in the mix for you on deals you’re doing right now?

(34:29) - Are rents still moving fast?

(37:08) - Is there anything you’re seeing that could cause a major correction in MF pricing?

(41:10) - Why are people selling right now given market conditions?

(42:30) - How are you thinking about the tailwind given to MF by high mortgage interest rates?

(43:50) - What do you see for your business over the next decade?

The Fort is produced by Johnny Podcasts

Will Churchill is the Owner of Frank Kent Motor Company.  Frank Kent Cadillac has been awarded GM Dealer of the Year for 2012 – 2014, an honor given to only the top 2% of GM dealers throughout the country.

On this episode, Chris and Will discuss:

• A deep dive on the auto industry.
• The current state of the auto industry.
• What the future of buying cars looks like.
• DTC, EV cars, Hydrogen?!
• And more!

Support our Sponsors:

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CRE Daily Newsletter 

Fort Capital 

More Info:

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

Follow The Fort on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheFortPodcast

Links:

The Fort #50 with Will Churchill

Email Will: [email protected]

Topics:

(3:18) - Introducing Will

(4:51) - Will’s background in the auto business

(7:06) - What’s happened in auto over the past two years?

(11:16) - Where are we now with the chip shortage?

(13:10) - Thoughts on pricing strategies in the industry

(17:53) - Where do people get auto loans from?

(20:18) - Is there anything that changed through Covid that will be permanent?

(22:37) - Moving the car buying experience online

(27:43) - Thoughts on Carvana 

(31:36) - Focusing on the Wholesale market

(34:45) - What do most people do when they’re owing way more than the car is worth?

(36:25) - What warranty do people really need?

(41:23) - At what point can a car not get a warranty?

(42:58) - Why is there a need for car dealerships in the future?

(44:41) - Why doesn’t Tesla’s model work for everyone else?

(47:03) - Will the Car Dealership look the way it does now in 10 years?

(48:50) - What happens if Wall Street moves to a profitability model?

(50:23) - Buick’s buyout of their dealers

(51:39) - Who dictates investing in a dealership?

(53:31) - The process of opening a new dealership

(56:33) - What’s the pathway to becoming a dealer?

(1:02:25) - Thoughts on the EV revolution

(1:08:12) - What happens to the new cars that got wrecked from the recent hurricane in Florida?

(1:10:09) - Where do cars go to die?

(1:11:29) - Do you see the industry moving to cars-as-a-service rather than traditional ownership model?

(1:12:52) - How are auto loans performing right now?

(1:13:35) - How many catalytic converters have been stolen from you and are manufacturers looking to fix this?

(1:14:33) - How’s the auction market looking right now?

(1:15:16) - What’s the single most impactful thing a dealer can do to improve the car buying experience?

(1:17:13) - How has ride-share impacted the auto world?

(1:18:43)  - Final thoughts

The Fort is produced by Johnny Podcasts

Holt Lunsford is the Founder & CEO of Holt Lunsford Commercial, a Dallas-based full-service commercial real estate company. They talk about luck in business, the process of finding and hiring great people, and Holt's advice for fathers. Enjoy!

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Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris 

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ 

Subscribe to The Fort on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ32shRt8Od3MxMY-keTSQ

(3:08) - Holt’s background and career

(5:30) - The Great Trammel Crowe generation of Texas Real Estate Operators

(19:26) - How much of business success is luck and how much are things that you can control? 

(21:28) - Holt’s Growth standards 

(24:22) - How long was the business going until you started making hires 

(25:24) - What were things you weren’t doing well that people could learn from? 

(28:55) - Holt on building relationships with the people he works with and loyalty 

(31:21) - Holt on the culture of people moving jobs constantly and attracting the next generation of employees 

(36:21)- What within Real Estate has changed dramatically since starting in ’86? 

(38:33) - Chris and Holt on life balance  

(43:02) - What did you give your kids for their 18th birthday? 

(46:19) - What advice would you give your 21-year-old self