Real Finds Podcast: Commercial Real Estate Unfiltered

In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Rob Kress, founder of Waypost Advisors, to explore how mid-market manufacturers and distributors can strengthen supply chains, mitigate geopolitical risks, and boost operational efficiency in a world defined by tariffs, uncertainty, and shifting trade policies.

Rob draws on more than two decades of leadership in large international corporations to explain why middle-market companies, those under $1B in revenue, face unique supply chain challenges, from scarce resources and limited hiring power to the high costs of supplier diversification. He shares real-world case studies, including a medical device manufacturer that successfully implemented a dual-source strategy to reduce reliance on China, and a Midwest industrial client that saved $3M through network optimization.

They dig into the tough trade-offs between resiliency and efficiency, the real barriers to automation and AI adoption for mid-sized firms, and how companies can cut costs without layoffs by improving internal processes. Rob also offers guidance on spotting “AI snake oil” in a crowded market, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and building the operational muscle needed to navigate tariff shocks and global disruptions.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: - Why mid-market supply chains fail when scaling from $50M to $300M+ in revenue - Practical steps to de-risk global sourcing without destroying margins - How dual-sourcing and nearshoring can work—if you plan 6–18 months ahead - The role of automation and AI in cutting costs and improving supply chain agility - How to avoid AI hype and choose the right partners for real ROI - Building a culture of continuous operational improvement - How tariff policy, Mexico’s role, and incentive-driven site selection will shape U.S. industrial real estate

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why mid-market supply chains fail when scaling from $50M to $300M+ in revenue

- Practical steps to de-risk global sourcing without destroying margins

- How dual-sourcing and nearshoring can work—if you plan 6–18 months ahead

- The role of automation and AI in cutting costs and improving supply chain agility

- How to avoid AI hype and choose the right partners for real ROI

- Building a culture of continuous operational improvement

- How tariff policy, Mexico’s role, and incentive-driven site selection will shape U.S. industrial real estate

Whether you’re an industrial real estate investor, manufacturing executive, or supply chain leader, this episode offers actionable insights for navigating one of the most volatile business landscapes in decades.

📚 Rob’s Recommended Read:

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss — a masterclass in negotiation and empathy.

📍 Learn More About Rob & Waypost Advisors: https://www.waypostadvisors.com

📍 Learn More About Commercial Real Estate

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In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere welcomes AK Schultz, co-founder of SVT Robotics, to explore the early innings of warehouse automation and robotics integration and why most real estate investors and operators still don't understand the scope (or risks) of what’s coming.

AK’s career arc is anything but traditional: former Army tank and reconnaissance officer, nuclear engineer, and now a leading voice in modular robotics and systems interoperability. As the co-founder of SVT Robotics, AK has spent the past two decades building solutions that simplify the orchestration of automation across complex supply chains. His writing on the SVT blog and deep expertise in abstraction, data normalization, and brownfield automation have made him a key thought leader in the field.

Together, Gordon and AK get into the gritty, high-stakes reality of deploying robotics at scale from reducing walking time in warehouses to avoiding the integration deadlock of overly complex systems.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why warehouse automation is still in its infancy

- How brownfield automation offers the biggest ROI and why it’s so hard

- The hidden cybersecurity risks of tightly-coupled systems

- What abstraction really means (and why it's the future)

- The real-world impact of reducing “walking” in a fulfillment center

- What real estate developers, investors, and landlords are getting wrong about robotics

- Why data normalization is the key to unlocking multi-system optimization

- The challenge of “digital pollution” and how companies can clean up their data lakes

- How Amazon changed the game on SKU velocity and what that means for the rest of us

- Why the most effective automation systems are invisible, flexible, and modular

📘 AK’s Book Recs:

- The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt – The classic on throughput and constraint theory

- The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman – A masterclass in intuitive product design

- Brain Rules by John Medina – A digestible guide to how the brain really works

💡 If you’re a supply chain leader, warehouse operator, logistics investor, or real estate developer wondering how to future-proof your facility or your portfolio, this conversation is a must-listen.

🔗 Learn more about Van Vlissingen and Co.

🔗 Read AK’s blog posts

🔗 Connect with AK on LinkedIn

🔗 Explore SVT Robotics

🔗 Explore Our Commercial Real Estate Services

🔗 Explore Our Property Management Services

In this powerful episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Megan Gluth, the CEO and owner of Catalynt, to unpack the raw truth about entrepreneurship, economic policy, and building a company with purpose in a wildly uncertain world.

From growing up below the poverty line in rural Iowa to owning and leading a global chemical supply and contract manufacturing business, Megan shares how she navigated the corporate world, made the leap from general counsel to CEO, and ultimately acquired the very company she once served.

This isn’t your typical business conversation. Megan dives into:

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- How businesses are really created—and how real estate and entrepreneurship mirror each other

- Running a global supply chain amid policy chaos and tariff volatility

- Why today’s interest rate environment kills capital investment

- The disconnect between inflation targets and wage mandates—and what no one’s saying

- Embracing “human-centered capitalism” while remaining an unapologetic capitalist

- Her radical hiring philosophy: no résumés, no pedigree, just hustle and character

- Tying pay to performance, not tenure—and how it transforms company culture

- Firing fast, praising publicly, and why A-players won’t tolerate C-player teams

- Advice to her younger self and why good advice comes from people with no skin in the game

- The importance of dignity, incentives, and creating meaningful work environments

Whether you're a business owner, operator, or someone who just wants to understand how real leadership looks and sounds in 2025, this conversation delivers. Unfiltered, unscripted, and deeply insightful.

📚 Books Mentioned:

The Snowball (Warren Buffett biography)

What It Takes by Stephen A. Schwarzman

The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger

🎯 Learn more about Megan: https://www.megangluth.com

🎧 Subscribe for more unvarnished stories from the operators shaping the built world and business landscape.

#RealFindsPodcast #MeganGluth #Catalynt #Entrepreneurship #HumanCenteredCapitalism #SupplyChain #Inflation #InterestRates #Hiring #Leadership #CRE #Manufacturing #BusinessPolicy #WomenInBusiness

In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Hunter Kosar, founder of Twisted Nail, a Texas-based logistics company shaking up the trucking and aggregates industry. Hunter’s path from investment banking to hauling dirt might sound unconventional, but it’s exactly that outsider perspective that’s helping him rethink one of the country’s most fragmented and under-optimized sectors.

Hunter shares how he bootstrapped his first truck, leveraged his finance background to bring real transparency to trucking bids, and is now uniting small operators to negotiate like industry giants, without forming a union. From regional aggregate sourcing to massive solar farm delays, they dig into how tariffs, inflation, and weather shocks are freezing construction markets and where the smart money is going next.

🔍 Topics Covered:

- How financial modeling helped launch a logistics business

- The hidden inefficiencies bankrupting construction projects

- The power of driver aggregation and ethical brokering

- Why dirt logistics can make or break a $100M site

- How to survive trucking in a frozen market

- What the public gets totally wrong about truckers

- The future of automation, pricing, and efficiency in logistics

- Book rec: The E-Myth & why processes beat people

- Who to watch next: Weldon Ratliff & Thomas Arnold

👤 Guest Info:

Hunter Kosar is the founder of Twisted Nail, a logistics and trucking company specializing in regional aggregate delivery for large-scale commercial and infrastructure projects across Texas. He previously worked in finance and now builds trust-based networks across the supply chain.

🎧 Subscribe for more insight into real estate, logistics, and the built world.

In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Jared White, Managing Director at Quadrum Global, to unpack what it really takes to develop trophy real estate in a post-2020 world, from ESG-certified London offices to price-breaking Brooklyn condos.

Jared brings a rare blend of legal acumen, financial sophistication, and hands-on development experience honed over more than a decade at Quadrum. Together, he and Gordon explore what sets successful real estate apart in an increasingly bifurcated market, where Class A assets break records while B and C properties struggle for relevance.

They dig into the behind-the-scenes story of 11 Belgrave in London, a WELL and LEED-certified office project that pushed the limits of ESG-driven design—and won accolades (and leases) for it. Then they dive into The Huron, Quadrum’s twin-tower waterfront condo project in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which has already broken three sales records while offering 30,000 sq ft of amenities, whisper-quiet HVAC systems, and a ship-inspired design paying homage to the neighborhood’s industrial past.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why ESG works—but only if tenants pay a premium

- The evolution of Greenpoint and land banking strategy in NYC

- How design intuition, not just ROI models, drove the Huron’s layout

- The role of fresh air, silence, and operable windows in elevating Class A assets

- Why residential and office buildings are increasingly run like hotels

- Quiet HVAC, oversized amenities, and the “Ferrari” problem of slow lease-ups

- Advice for young real estate professionals: say yes, show up, and keep your integrity

💬 Jared also shares his favorite books—including The Power Broker and The Death and Life of Great American Cities—and names three real estate attorneys he trusts when it's time to step into the ring.

📧 Want to get in touch with Jared? You can reach him at [email protected]

🔗 Learn more about Jared: https://www.quadrumglobal.com/who-we-are/our-people/acquisitions/jared-white

Learn more about the Real Finds Podcast at https://www.vvco.com

In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere welcomes Phillip Gulley, co-founder of Cofactr, a company that helps critical industries like aerospace, defense, and MedTech manage the tangled web of modern supply chains.

Gulley shares how he stumbled into the world of trade and logistics by building hardware, only to discover that real success required managing compliance, tariffs, duty drawback, and end-to-end traceability. From sourcing secure electronics to preventing multimillion-dollar delivery penalties, Phillip walks through why electronics are the most supply chain-sensitive products on the planet and how Cofactr is using AI-powered tools to reduce risk without sacrificing security or IP.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why most electronic components in critical systems still rely on Chinese infrastructure

- How "design for supply chain" is the next frontier after "design for manufacturing"

- Why duty drawback is so underutilized and how companies can reclaim tariff dollars

- How to think about risk, vendor traceability, and tiered supplier transparency

- The hidden fragility in “just-in-time” production and how to build a more resilient logistics strategy

- Real-world reactions from medtech and aerospace manufacturers navigating tariffs, shortages, and compliance pressures

- The truth about nearshoring in Mexico, why it's stalled, and what the future holds for North American trade

🧠 Phillip also shares his top book recommendations:

- Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse

- Rules of Play by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman

- Radical Candor by Kim Scott

📌 If you’re an industrial investor, logistics exec, or commercial real estate developer trying to understand the real-world impacts of trade policy, manufacturing risk, and process change, this is a must-listen.

👤 Connect with Phillip Gulley:

Website: https://cofactr.com

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipgulley

Learn More About Van Vlissingen and Co.

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes with real operators shaping the world of trade, logistics, and commercial real estate.

#SupplyChain #Logistics #TradePolicy #ElectronicsManufacturing #RealFindsPodcast #GordonLamphere #Cofactr #CommercialRealEstate #AIinManufacturing #DutyDrawback #RiskMitigation #Nearshoring #IndustrialRealEstate #Procurement

In this must-watch episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with legendary construction attorney and author Barry LePatner to uncover why the U.S. construction industry is broken and what needs to change. From cost overruns and project delays to failing infrastructure and supply chain turmoil, Barry breaks down the hidden risks facing every developer, investor, and public official in the built environment.

Barry shares the origin story of how he became one of the nation's foremost experts on construction law, project management, and owner representation. He reveals why most construction contracts are based on incomplete documents, how the “guaranteed maximum price” is a myth, and what owners must do to truly protect their investments. Plus, he explains why infrastructure funding still isn’t fixing bridges and why America’s construction workforce shortage is far worse than most realize.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why most construction firms are inefficient “mom-and-pop” shops

- The real reason projects go over budget and get delayed

- The myth of Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts

- How bad design documents sink projects before they start

- What tariffs and labor shortages mean for construction pricing

- Why U.S. infrastructure is crumbling—and how policy makes it worse

- How COVID and China reshaped the construction supply chain

- Real advice for developers, lenders, and LPs on risk management

- Books that changed Barry’s life: Carnegie, Waitley, and Tolstoy

📚 Books Mentioned:

- Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets – Barry LePatner

- Too Big to Fall: America’s Failing Infrastructure and the Way Forward – Barry LePatner

- How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

- Timing Is Everything – Denis Waitley

- War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

🧠 Whether you’re underwriting a deal or walking a job site, this episode is essential listening for anyone who builds, funds, or manages real estate. Learn how to avoid the traps even the pros fall into.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to The Real Finds Podcast.

📌 Visit: https://www.vvco.com

📌 Blog: https://www.vvco.com/blog

On this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Rod Kritsberg, a New York-based developer and fund manager behind some of Manhattan’s most ambitious boutique office transformations. Rod shares how his team identifies overlooked architectural gems in high-barrier neighborhoods like SoHo and the West Village and turns them into fully reimagined, institutional-grade office properties.

They discuss why “location and build quality are the only amenities that matter,” how outdated zoning maps create hidden opportunities, and what most developers get wrong about tenant demand and deal structuring. From building tours in hazmat suits during the pandemic to navigating the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Rod walks through the real challenges (and upside) of high-design office development in dense urban cores.

▶ Topics covered:

- How Rod transitioned from apartment rentals to boutique commercial development

- What makes 132 West 14th a model for post-COVID office redevelopment

- Why most office amenities are “BS”—and what tenants really want instead

- Spec building, capital stacks, and the real economics behind boutique assets

- NYC’s broken zoning map and the next big shift in Midtown South

- High ceilings, custom glass, marble kitchens, and other overlooked design details

- What young CRE professionals should know about sales, rejection, and persistence

- Rod’s long-term outlook: energy infrastructure, adaptive reuse, and the return of high-end office

Whether you’re leasing 10,000 square feet in SoHo or converting a legacy office in your hometown, this is a crash course in what it really takes to build for the next generation of users.

In this deep-dive episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere welcomes Kent Gourdin, professor and director of global logistics and transportation at the College of Charleston, to explore how global trade, port infrastructure, and transportation policy are rewriting the rules of real estate investment and logistics strategy.

Together, they examine how the aftershocks of pandemic-era disruptions, U.S. trade policy, and labor negotiations are reshaping everything from inventory management to automation in America’s ports. With decades of experience, Kent offers rare insight into the unseen forces moving our goods, determining industrial site selection, and influencing national economic competitiveness.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- The hidden role of ports in shaping regional real estate markets

- Why America no longer has a robust blue-water shipping fleet

- The real-world effects of the Jones Act on logistics costs and trade efficiency

- What World War II cake deliveries say about U.S. logistics dominance

- How U.S. policy stifled the domestic shipping industry despite a naval tradition

- The difference between Charleston and Savannah’s real estate supply chain strategies

- Why the “just-in-time” supply chain model is being replaced by resilience

- The rise of warehousing near ports and what it means for investors

- Why electrification at ports is still more theory than practice in the Southeast

- Real risks and limits of automation in long-haul trucking and terminal operations

- What trade volatility means for five- to ten-year CRE planning horizons

- The future of U.S. supply chains: lean vs. resilient models

- Why global trade isn’t going away, no matter how many tariffs get introduced

- How logistics is no longer an invisible industry, but a strategic advantage

📈 Whether you’re a commercial real estate investor, developer, industrial tenant, or global logistics strategist, this episode offers a blueprint for understanding how policy, ports, and product movement will shape location value, tenant demand, and investment timelines for the next decade.

📚 Books Recommended by Kent Gourdin: Door to Door by Edward Humes – An accessible, narrative-driven book that unveils the invisible machinery behind global transportation. Required reading in Kent’s classroom and loved by students.

Kent also offers a powerful piece of advice for young professionals: find a career you’re passionate about, remain flexible in your path, and let your curiosity, not a rigid plan, guide you through the twists and turns of your working life.

📬 Want to reach out to Kent Gourdin or learn more about his work?

📧 Email: [email protected]

🏛️ Institution: College of Charleston – Global Logistics Program

🎧 Subscribe to The Real Finds Podcast for real conversations with the entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, and operators shaping the built world. From supply chains to zoning codes, we explore the overlooked levers that move markets.

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In this eye-opening episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere welcomes Andrew Farah, the CEO and co-founder of Density, a company revolutionizing how we measure and understand physical space usage in office environments.

Together, they explore the hidden inefficiencies of commercial office spaces, the myths around return-to-office mandates, and how anonymous, real-time space data can fundamentally reshape how organizations use their buildings, without infringing on privacy.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

- Why “butts in seats” is a broken metric for workplace effectiveness

- How Density’s radar-based sensors provide real-time data while ensuring complete privacy

- Why camera-based systems pose legal, ethical, and cybersecurity risks

- “Ghost meetings,” unclaimed desks, and the vast wasteland of unused office space

- How high-trust, in-person collaboration builds stronger products and teams

- What federal government real estate downsizing means for office investors and REITs

- Creative solutions for return-to-office success: including in-building childcare

- The real impact of flexible work on young professionals, mentorship, and workplace training

- How future workspaces will blend AI, self-driving tech, and radically smaller, higher-output teams

📈 Whether you're a commercial real estate investor, a corporate occupier, or simply navigating hybrid work policies, this episode will change the way you think about space, people, and productivity.

📚 Books Recommended by Andrew Farah:

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli – A poetic exploration of time by a physicist who writes like a philosopher.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing – The true survival story of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition (with a shoutout to navigator Frank Worsley).

Contact by Carl Sagan – A science fiction classic about our place in the universe, later adapted into a film starring Jodie Foster.

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara – Behind the scenes of Eleven Madison Park and the art of going above and beyond for customers.

Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant – A concise but profound meditation on human history, civilization, and recurring patterns.

Andrew also shares powerful advice for young professionals: read what you love until you love to read, and let curiosity, not competition, guide your growth.

📬 Want to connect with Andrew Farah or learn more about Density?

Website: https://www.density.io

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewfarah/

🎧 Subscribe to The Real Finds Podcast for raw, data-backed conversations with the operators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries redefining real estate and the built world.

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