The Builder Nation Podcast

This episode is a raw, unfiltered look at what it actually takes for you to build a business and a life that feels aligned, not just impressive on paper. It dives into the tension between who you are and what you do, and what happens when the business you built no longer fits the person you are becoming.​

In this episode, I talk with Ruben about money, risk, and identity, and you get to sit in on an honest conversation about the deals that did not work out, the pivots that hurt, and the internal battles that never show up on social media. Instead of glamorizing the grind, we question the usual success narratives and expose the gap between what you say you want - freedom, flexibility, impact - and what you are truly willing to sacrifice to get there.​

You hear Ruben open up about ego, self-worth, and the danger of tying your entire identity to your role, title, or revenue. If you are a high-achiever who looks successful from the outside but feels misaligned or stuck on the inside, the way he breaks down separating who you are from what you earn will hit close to home.​

If you are an entrepreneur, an operator, or someone standing at a crossroads - thinking about selling, pivoting, or reinventing yourself - this episode will feel like a conversation you have been needing with a brutally honest friend who has actually lived through the highs and lows.

You walk away with a more honest understanding of what success really costs, a clearer sense of what enough looks like for you, and permission to redesign your path on your own terms without blowing up your entire life to do it.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow Rubén Bañuelos

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubenbanuelos_sd/tagged/?hl=en 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenbanuelosrealtor/ 

• Consultation with him: https://calendly.com/rbanuelos 

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian

Step into the story of a 25-year-old San Diego agent who refused to cold call, knock doors, or live on the traditional real estate hamster wheel—and still built a thriving business powered almost entirely by social media.

In this episode, Jared Harmon shares how he turned simple home tour videos into a magnetic brand that attracts first-time buyers, DINKs, and locals who already feel like they know him before they ever reach out.​

You’ll hear how he:

• Uses hyper-local content to dominate metro San Diego and become the trusted go-to for neighborhoods like North Park, South Park, and Bankers Hill.​

• Turns “comment interested” into a full conversion funnel that moves followers from DMs to phone calls, showings, and accepted offers—without spending a dollar on paid ads.​

• Delivers white-glove service with obsessive communication, lightning-fast responsiveness, and deep market knowledge that wins referrals from lenders, clients, and other agents.​

Jared also opens up about:

• Why dropping the polished “sales persona” and leaning into raw, authentic content suddenly unlocked way more trust and better clients.​

• The long, unorthodox three-year grind of posting before anything really popped—and what happened when one “imperfect” home tour unexpectedly hit 2 million views.​

• How social media lets him quietly “train” his audience, expand their buy box, and position himself as the solution long before they’re ready to transact.​

• His vision for scaling: building a team around his brand, leveraging showing partners, and becoming the local name for both buyers and listings in San Diego.​

If you’re an agent tired of cold calling, an investor who relies on great agents, or an entrepreneur obsessed with leverage, this conversation will challenge how you think about attention, trust, and building a durable local brand in 2026 and beyond—while still leaving plenty of game that you’ll only catch by listening all the way through.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow Jared Harman:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaredharman.sd/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredharmansd/ 

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jaredharmansd 

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian

TThis episode of The Builder Nation Podcast follows the journey of Adit Shah: Navy veteran turned real estate developer. He discusses how he scaled from small residential deals into syndicated hotel acquisitions. He shares hard lessons learned when those hotels went south, and then how he rebuilt both his business and his reputation around radical transparency and investor-first integrity.

Along the way, he breaks down how to responsibly raise capital with experienced operators, how to deeply vet partners, and why every deal should have “one neck to choke” when things go wrong.​

The conversation then shifts to rebuilding trust after losses, including personally paying back investors even when legal documents did not require it, and using public vulnerability about failures as a long-term trust-building strategy.

Adit also shares how serving others through free coaching, consistently asking “how can I help?”, and staying humble has made him a sought-after voice in high-level communities like Action Academy and Military to Millionaire, illustrating the concept of “return on proximity.”​

The episode closes with a deeper discussion on what freedom really means after years living abroad, why money is only useful to the point it enables choice and impact, and how the guest now defines success as building a fully vertically integrated housing company in San Diego while living a life of service.

Listen, and you'll walk away with a framework to find your own intersection of unfair advantage, community need, and personal “why” so you can build businesses that both drive your economic engine and leave you feeling genuinely fulfilled.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow Adit Shah

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/housebender/?hl=en 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adit-shah-197623167/ 

• Website: https://www.housebender.com/ 

  
  

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian

Most small businesses bleed cash on marketing they don’t understand, yet some quietly scale almost entirely through word of mouth and a dialed-in reputation.

In this episode, Billy Perez unpacks how he grew to managing 50+ Airbnb doors in just 18 months, layered in other income streams like vending machines, and became “the Airbnb guy” in his market without relying on paid ads. From showing up obsessively at real estate meetups to engineering memorable guest experiences, he breaks down the mindset and systems that turn casual conversations into a constant flow of owners asking to work with him.​

You’ll hear how he:

• Turned handshakes, open houses, and being “annoyingly obsessed” with his business into a referral engine that replaces traditional marketing.​

• Built a management company owners actually rave about—with clear accounting, pro-level photos, tight ops, and amenities like hot tubs, speakeasies, and murals that guests can’t stop posting about.​

• Evolved from taking almost any property that would cash-flow into carefully choosing higher-quality clients, cutting problem owners, and designing a portfolio that supports both margins and sanity.​

• Uses an operations manager, software, and AI guest messaging to step out of the weeds, while still delivering five-star stays at scale.​

  
  

Billy also dives into:

• His leap from full-time Spanish teacher to multi-business operator, the eight months he lost money after hiring

• Why most people are actually better off as employees, the dangers of being a hyper-anxious “type A” founder

• Owner red flags vs. green flags, why retired or overly involved hosts often create the biggest headaches

• How he’s thinking about regulation risk, diversifying beyond STRs, and building toward a 250+ unit, eight-figure operation where his primary job is sales, relationships, and brand.​

  
  

If you’re running short-term rentals, building a service business, or just tired of being “the business” instead of owning one, this episode pulls back the curtain on what sustainable, word-of-mouth growth actually looks like—while still leaving plenty of the playbook between the lines for those who listen all the way through.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow Billy Perez:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billy.elevate 

• Website: https://www.elevatemgmt.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-perez-5b12921b1/ 

  
  

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian 

This episode of Builder Nation features Dillon Freeman, one of the top mortgage lenders in the country, who built a $400k+ per year business entirely from organic LinkedIn—no ads, no agents, just systems, consistency, and content that actually drives deals.

Dillon breaks down how he went from market commentary during the banking crisis to becoming a go-to lender, the content “pillars” he uses to post daily for years, and the specific tactics he leverages to turn likes and comments into real, qualified borrowers on autopilot.​

You’ll learn how to overcome the fear of posting, why LinkedIn is a “storybook” not a highlight reel, how to use comments, DMs, Calendly, and simple tools to create an inbound pipeline, and why controversy, storytelling, and authenticity outperform “just closed” posts every time.

Dillon also pulls back the curtain on his daily schedule as a high-earning lender, husband, and dad—how he protects family time, structures deep work, thinks about systems and hiring, and why his ultimate goal is using lending and content to buy real estate, reduce taxes, and stop trading time for money.​

If you’re a high-performing professional or investor who wants to use LinkedIn to generate deal flow, scale income, and still win at home, this conversation gives you the exact mindset, frameworks, and plays Dillon uses in real life—so you can start building your own “Builder Nation” with the same 24 hours.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow Dillon Freeman

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillondoesloans/ 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dillondoesloans/ 

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian 

In this episode of The Builder Nation Podcast, Brian sits down with Alex Inabnet, founder of Inabnet Companies and a developer running five vertically integrated divisions across San Diego, Austin, and Tampa.

Alex shares how he went from nearly jumping off a downtown San Diego high-rise at 25 to building a multi-market development empire that includes construction, property management, and a private equity fund.

He breaks down his contrarian approach to the current market downturn—doubling down on acquisitions while others pull back, raising capital in uncertain times through radical transparency, and why the first six months in a new market should be spent building face-to-face relationships at gyms, churches, and community events rather than behind a computer.

Alex also opens up about choosing the right partners (and why all money isn't good money), structuring incentives across vertically integrated companies, and the critical importance of vulnerability when you're struggling instead of taking flight.

What's covered:
• Why downturns are the time to acquire and build
• Raising capital in tough markets through transparency and investor updates
• The six-month strategy for entering new real estate markets
• Face-to-face relationship building vs. virtual networking
• Vertical integration across development, GC, and property management
• Choosing partners: experience vs. capital-only partners
• Structuring LP vs. GP roles and managing investor expectations
• Incentivizing construction teams with milestone-based bonuses
• The moment Alex nearly ended his life and what it taught him about vulnerability

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner

Follow Alex:
• LinkedIn: https:

In this episode of The Builder Nation Podcast, Brandon breaks down how he went from a 25-year-old making over $200,000 a year in Fortune 100 tech sales to walking away and rebuilding his life around freedom, travel, and hospitality ownership.

He shares how he navigated multiple career pivots, got into hostels and hotels on Maui, and now runs marketing and capital raising for a growing hotel investment company while deliberately earning less in the short term to build a life he actually wants.

You'll hear how Brandon thinks about the "high-income trap," why masterminds and communities matter more than books, and how to use social media and storytelling to raise money and fill hospitality properties. He also unpacks AI's impact on copywriting, when to quit a high-paying job, and how to document your journey without overthinking it.

• Why the "high-income trap" keeps people stuck
• 8-person startups vs 400-person companies
• How hostels outperform hotels financially
• AI's role in copywriting and efficiency
• Why masterminds beat books for high performers
• Building and leaving a wholesaling business
• Overcoming fear of posting content
• Raising private capital through investor walkthroughs

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandon__hien/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandon_hien
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-hien/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian

In this episode of The Builder Nation Podcast, Brandon breaks down how he went from a 25-year-old making over $200,000 a year in Fortune 100 tech sales to walking away and rebuilding his life around freedom, travel, and hospitality ownership. He shares how he navigated multiple career pivots, got into hostels and hotels on Maui, and now runs marketing and capital raising for a growing hotel investment company while deliberately earning less in the short term to build a life he actually wants.​You’ll hear how Brandon thinks about the “high-income trap,” why masterminds and communities matter more than books, and how to use social media and storytelling to raise money and fill hospitality properties. He also unpacks AI’s impact on copywriting, when to quit a high-paying job, and how to document your journey without overthinking it.What's covered:• Why the "high-income trap" keeps people stuck​• 8-person startups vs 400-person companies​• How hostels outperform hotels financially​• AI's role in copywriting and efficiency​• Why masterminds beat books for high performers​• Building and leaving a wholesaling business​• Overcoming fear of posting content​• Raising private capital through investor walkthroughsThinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: ⁠thebuildernation.com/partner⁠ Follow Brandon:• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brandon__hien/⁠• Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@brandon_hien⁠• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-hien/⁠ Follow The Builder Brian:• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en⁠• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/⁠• YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian⁠

Less than 15% of eligible veterans ever use their VA loan—but James DeLeon used his to buy a fourplex with $0 down and turned it into a 25+ property portfolio in one of America's toughest markets.

In this episode, James breaks down exactly how he escaped the "military matrix" that keeps service members trapped in financial mediocrity. From his first house hack to mastering the BRRRR strategy in San Diego, he reveals:

• Why the military intentionally fails to teach veterans about wealth building

• How he negotiated a $780K listing down to $600K on the MLS (and still made it work as a BRRRR)

• The exact systems that let him scale from one fourplex to 25+ properties with vertical integration

• How to build a construction team without a GC license (and when you actually need one)

• The partnership principles that make or break real estate businesses

• Why discipline from the Marine Corps matters less than the mental game nobody talks about

  
  

James doesn't sugarcoat it—he shares the deals that went sideways, the $25K in earnest money that almost got lost on Cesar Chavez Day, and why he still battles imposter syndrome despite crushing it by every metric.

If you're a veteran sitting on your VA loan benefit, an investor wondering how to make BRRRRs work in expensive markets, or anyone trying to scale without losing quality, this episode is your playbook.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner 

Follow James Deleon

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamess.deleon/ 

  
  

Follow The Builder Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian

In this episode of The Builder Nation Podcast, Brian sits down with Ryan O’Connell, founder of How to ADU and one of the most respected ADU policy experts in California.

Everyone says ADUs are the solution to the housing crisis.

California has over 7 million ADU-eligible properties.

So why do so many projects never make it to permit — let alone construction?

This conversation breaks down the real reasons ADU projects stall, fail, or never start at all — and what homeowners and developers actually need to focus on heading into 2026 and beyond.

We cover:

• Why most people never start an ADU project

• Why many projects die before permitting

• The difference between what you can build vs. what you should build

• How bad teams quietly kill good ADU projects

• Why “A-to-Z” ADU firms are often a red flag

• The real role of the developer in ADU success

• Bonus ADUs, AB 1033 condo-ization, JADUs, and policy myths

• When adding units actually destroys property value

• How ADUs evolve into broader density strategies

• What winning with ADUs looks like over the next decade

This episode is essential listening for homeowners, builders, and investors who want to approach ADUs strategically — not emotionally or blindly.

Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly?

Visit: thebuildernation.com/partner

Follow Ryan O’Connell:

YouTube & TikTok: How to ADU

Instagram: @RyanOHousing

New episodes every week.

Welcome to Builder Nation.