Stop trading time for money—start using what you already have.

In this episode of Scared Sh*tLess, Sarah Sémajuste sits down with IT consultant turned developer Dennis Tanguay. From a self-paying cottage to a 6-unit townhouse project, he shares how he leveraged home equity, handled zoning challenges, and scaled without quitting his day job.

A real, no-fluff look at building wealth through calculated risk.

What you’ll learn:
• Using property to generate its own income
• Leveraging home equity to scale
• Moving from rentals to development
• Navigating zoning and delays
• Why keeping your job matters

Chapters:
0:00 Introductions
0:54 Life as an IT Consultant
2:37 First Investment Strategy
5:24 Scaling Up
7:13 Leveraging Equity
9:18 Joint Ventures
11:41 Market Challenges
15:36 Keep Your Day Job
16:40 Land Development
21:52 Zoning Lessons
25:20 City Delays
29:22 5AM Routine
31:02 Generational Wealth
35:33 What’s Next

About Dennis Tanguay Dennis is a proud father and husband, a long-time IT consultant, and a fitness buff who tries not to complain about early-morning workouts.Recently stepping into life as an empty nester, he’s channeling his energy into a new chapter as a land developer - bringing fresh energy and big ideas to the next chapter.Contact

Email: [email protected]FacebookInstagram

Building a business is scary — doing it with your twin sister makes it even more powerful.

In this episode of Scared Shitless, host Sarah Sémajuste talks with twin founders Medjine Hyppolite and Mendjaly Hyppolite of Frizé Frizé about entrepreneurship, natural hair, and the courage to pivot.

They share how they balanced motherhood and full-time jobs while building a natural hair brand, the financial risks they took to fund the business themselves, and why they eventually pivoted from selling products to focusing on hair education and coaching.

This episode explores natural hair identity, imposter syndrome, business pivots, and building a Black-owned business from scratch.

Key Moments

0:00 Intro: Meeting the founders of Frizé Frizé1:36 Balancing business, motherhood, and community support3:03 Overcoming fear of charging for your work5:59 Creating their first natural hair product8:54 Why they pivoted away from products11:11 Hair and identity: embracing natural texture17:33 Funding the business without loans21:25 Lessons from business coaches31:34 Running a business with your twin37:47 Launching a 90-day hair education program
49:25 Biggest wins and milestones

Connect with Frizé Frizé

Website: https://www.frizefrize.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frize_frizePinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/frize_frize

Topics: Natural hair journey, entrepreneurship, Black-owned business, curly hair education, business pivot, success mindset.

What happens when your military discipline meets the "Wild West" of entrepreneurship? In this episode, I sat down with Victoria Cluney, a military veteran turned business coach and real estate investor, to discuss the raw, unglamorous truth of building an empire.From smuggling her toddler into military barracks to walking away from a massive partnership to protect her integrity, Victoria’s story is a masterclass in resilience. We dive deep into the $200,000 mistake that taught her about due diligence, how she how she evolved from feeling alone in her responsibilities to building a strong, supportive partnership with her husband, and why she believes radical transparency is the only way to build a personal brand that lasts.

(00:00) – Intro & Welcome Victoria Clooney

(01:01) – The "Most Important Role": Being a Mom

(02:01) – Defining the BUILD Ecosystem and Life by Design

(03:56) – From Military "Lone Wolf" to Entrepreneurial Impact (05:04) – Breaking into Male-Dominated Real Estate Spaces (07:38) – Reluctantly Stepping into Leadership in Ottawa (09:16) – Choosing Integrity Over Opportunity: The BUILD Origin

(12:27) – Opening Doors: Why Mission Trumps Revenue

(14:04) – Managing Business Growth with a Risk-Adverse Partner

(18:57) – Knowing When to Let a Business Go

(20:16) – The Reality Behind Being a "Power Couple"

(22:52) – Growing Up in a Global Military Family (24:55) – Choosing the Infantry Over Law School

(28:21) – Starting a Real Estate Portfolio at 20

(30:57) – Accidental Landlord: Managing Property from Overseas

(35:07) – Playing Big: Why Big Success Requires Big Problems (38:24) – Navigating Career Pivots for Family Needs

(41:32) – Normalizing Motherhood in Professional Spaces (45:33) – Learning to Ask for Help During Crisis

(48:20) – Smuggling a Baby into Military Shacks

(51:55) – Leading Teams with Empathy and Personal Support (54:01) – Scaling Your Most Valuable Asset: Personal Branding (56:56) – Overcoming the Fear of Judgment Online

(1:00:12) – Why Credibility Trumps Information in 2026 (1:05:05) – Losing $200,000 and Learning Hard Business Lessons

(1:11:08) – Mastering Due Diligence in Modern Partnerships (1:17:21) – Instilling Capability in the Next Generation

Got questions for Victoria? 📥DM the word "Shitless" to @victoriacluney on InstagramMeet Victoria CluneyVictoria Cluney helps founders go from overlooked to in demand by showing up online with messaging that lands and the confidence to lead with it.She blends behaviour science and leadership with more than 20 years of real operator experience, building and scaling businesses across real estate, hospitality, franchising, and service-based ventures.Backed by 24 years of military leadership, a master’s degree in organizational psychology, and national media experience including CBC’s Dragons’ Den, she brings a high-stakes standard to how founders communicate and grow. Because when results stall, it is rarely a talent problem, it is usually a messaging problem, a positioning problem, and a strategy problem. Victoria helps entrepreneurs fix all three, while building the resilience to navigate growth without burning out or losing themselves in the process.She is the founder of BILD (Business, Impact and Life by Design), a high-support coaching community, and WE BILD, a monthly networking community with chapters in Toronto, Ottawa, and online. She also hosts the BILD What Matters Podcast, designed to showcase the real struggles and behind-the-scenes decisions founders face as they grow, and the shifts that help them rise.Connect with Victoria CluneyWebsite Instagram Tiktok - Facebook LinkedIn Alex Hormozi X Tony Robbins Interview

Master the world of land development and learn how to scale your real estate portfolio by "flipping the paper" and building high-value projects. In this episode of Scared Shitless, host Sarah sits down with Carina Guzman, founder of the Land Development Academy, to uncover the raw truth about transition from a corporate 9-to-5 to becoming a powerhouse developer.Building a life you love means doing it afraid, and Carina shares her journey as an immigrant escaping war in El Salvador to navigating the complex regulations of the Canadian real estate market. We dive deep into modular construction challenges, the importance of deal structuring, and why your "exit strategy" is the most critical part of any land development project. Carina explains her "flipping the paper" strategy, securing permits and entitlements to add massive value to raw land before selling to builders and why this niche is the ultimate wealth-builder for those willing to learn the foundations.Whether you are a seasoned investor or a curious beginner, this conversation covers the importance of networking with high-caliber individuals, managing the stress of multiple mortgages, and leading a team with a sense of urgency. Carina doesn’t sugarcoat the failures; she treats every "landmine" as a lesson. Tune in to learn how to move beyond your "like-minded" circle and elevate your floor to become a leader in the real estate industry.Timestamps0:00 – Welcome...1:10 – How to Manage Motherhood, Marriage, and Multiple Projects4:06 – Developing a Sense of Urgency as a Leader6:07 – From Boutique Real Estate to Landlording7:09 – The Reality of Modular Construction & Why It Failed in 201611:08 – From Immigrant Household to Entrepreneurial Spirit13:07 – That Moment You Realize You’re Not a Good Employee17:12 – Navigating Family Expectations & Risk-Averse Parents21:35 – What is "Flipping the Paper"?23:36 – The Single Hardest Part of Land Development24:35 – Underwriting for Your Exit: 3 Exit Strategies You Need27:40 – Biggest Mistakes: Timing, Market Analysis & Regulations28:41 – Inside the Land Development Academy (LDA)33:12 – Overcoming Daily Fears & Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone35:14 – Why "Like-Minded" Groups Might Be Limiting Your GrowthConnect with Carina GuzmanIG -   / iamcarinaguzman  Linkedin -   / carina-guzm  Website - https://www.landdevacademy.com/💬 Drop your questions in the comments📩 DM Sarah for help with your project👍 Like the video to support the channel🔔 Subscribe for weekly real-estate development breakdowns#landdevelopment #entrepreneurship #propertydevelopment

#FailureIsNormal #ScaredShitlessPodcast #GrowthMindsetEver feel like failing means you’re a failure? Spoiler: it doesn’t! In this episode of the Scared Shitless Podcast, I dive into why failure is not only normal but necessary on your journey to success.I talk about the negative emotions that come with failing — guilt, shame, fear — and why they’re actually signs you’re learning and growing. If you’ve ever been scared of messing up, this episode is for you.🎧 What you’ll learn:Why failure is part of every success storyHow to reframe negative emotions around failingSteps to move forward even when things go wrong💬 Drop your questions in the comments📩 DM Sarah for motivation👍 Like the video to support the channel🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and real-estate development content#OvercomingFailure #PersonalGrowth #SuccessMindset #FailureToSuccess #MentalHealth #SelfImprovement

Ever wondered what developers actually spend before construction even begins?

In today’s episode of Scared Shitless, Sarah breaks down the complete soft-cost budget for her 6-unit development project in Ottawa, from surveys to permits, engineering, environmental studies, and everything in between.If you're planning your first development, raising capital, or trying to understand what numbers investors want to see, this episode will save you from surprises and thousands in mistakes.

In this episode of Scared Shitless, we welcome back Carine Toham Ngoy — this time joined by her business partner, Adenike (Nike) Oreyomi — to continue the conversation about their 24-unit infill development project in Ottawa.

Together, they open up about the challenges they’ve facedalong the way — from a year-long tenant eviction process, to unexpected city requirements for additional studies, to the hurdles of financing a major project.

These Momvestors talk about the courage it takesto take on big risks and the unstoppable mindset required to keep going, no matter what.

Carine and Nike are the founders of The NCTL Group, aBlack-owned real estate development company on a mission to create accessible, high-quality housing that helps immigrant families find stability, belonging,and pride in their new home.

Connect with them:
🏢 The NCTL Group
Instagram: @thenctlgroup
Email: [email protected]

👩‍💼 Carine Toham Ngoy
Instagram: @cktpartnersinvest
Facebook: Carine Toham

👩‍💼 Adenike (Nike) Oreyomi
Instagram: @lanik_real_estate_investing
Facebook: Adenike-Shittu Lanre Ore

On this episode of Scared SHITLESS, I sit down with my husband, Lenard, to talk about the big transitions he’s made in life — from a professional football career, to working in government, to building wealth through real estate investing. 🏈💼🏡Lenard shares:• What it really feels like to pivot careers when your “first dream” ends.• His best tips for getting started in real estate investing (even if you have little or no money)• The key things to look for in a life partner before marriage.This episode is all about facing fear, taking risks, and building a future you love. If you’ve ever felt terrified of change but knew you needed to take the leap — this one’s for you.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share if you got value from this conversation.Lenard can be found on:Instagram: @20.more Facebook: Lenard Sémajuste

Decision burnout is real — and it’s draining your energy before you even get to the important stuff. In this episode, I talk about how I cut down on the little daily choices so I can save my brainpower for the bigger, business-defining decisions. From streamlining routines to creating mental shortcuts, these are the hacks that help me stay focused on what actually matters.

Starting a business isn’t just about strategy, money, or ideas—it’s about surviving the silence when no one else “gets it.” In this episode of Scared Shitless, I dive into the raw reality of entrepreneurship: the late nights, the self-doubt, and the overwhelming loneliness that no one talks about.If you’ve ever felt like you’re building something on your own island, this episode is for you. I'm talking about why entrepreneurship can feel so isolating, and how to cope with the mental weight.👉 Subscribe to Scared Shitless for unfiltered conversations about the messy, human side of chasing big dreams.