The Liquid Lunch Project

Ever heard a data scientist call real estate magic? That's exactly what happens when Silicon Valley smarts collide with multifamily investing, and this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project proves it.

We're sitting down with Neal Bawa, the Mad Scientist of Multifamily, to decode how he built a $600M real estate portfolio by treating cities like spreadsheets, and why he believes most investors are looking in the wrong places.

Why Listen?

If you're done with recycled real estate advice and want sharper thinking for your business and investments, hit play. Neal reverse-engineers markets, leverages depreciation as a financial weapon, and maps out where smart founders are moving before the headlines hit. Whether you're building your portfolio or scaling your small business, this is a perspective that pays off.

🚀 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How a 50% tax rate pushed Neal from tech into real estate

• The power of depreciation for small business owners

• How Neal ranks 1,000+ cities using 5 key data points

• Why Idaho Falls > LA (yep, really)

• What job growth and income trends reveal about market timing

• Where Millennials and Gen Z are moving with intention

• How political policies shape profitability

• What AI means for real estate, jobs, and future-proof investing

💡 Notable Takeaway: Artificial intelligence is mankind's greatest achievement and its greatest threat.

👤 About Our Guest:

Neal Bawa blends tech, data science, and real estate to help investors find cash flow where others see risk. He's the founder of Multifamily University, known for its zero-hype webinars and the Location Magic model used by over 75,000 investors.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• Grocapitus

• Multifamily University

Subscribe so you don't miss future conversations on business growth, funding, strategy, and the stuff most people don't explain clearly.

If this episode helped, a quick rating or review goes a long way. It helps the show reach more business owners who actually care about getting this right.

Available on all major podcast and video platforms:

• Official site: https://theliquidlunchproject.com • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-liquid-lunch-project/ • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12HPEDMmsbfsp8tHt5LiZJ • Audible: https://shorturl.at/6j4vz• YouTube (full episodes + clips): https://www.youtube.com/@Credit_Banc

Every Friday, we publish The Weekly. A fast, smart rundown of what actually matters in finance, tech, small business, and the economy...without the noise.

Subscribe here: 👉 https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

If today's conversation raised questions about capital, cash flow, or financing options, you can schedule a conversation with our sponsor, Credit Banc.

Credit Banc helps business owners make sense of their options and move forward with a clear plan, without pressure or guesswork.

📲 Connect with the hosts

Follow along for behind-the-scenes clips, commentary, and things that don't make it into the episode.

• Matt Meehan: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.r.meehan • Luigi Rosabianca: https://www.instagram.com/luigi_rosabianca • The Liquid Lunch Project: https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

Know a business owner who would appreciate this conversation? Send them the episode. That's how this show grows.

Is AI going to save your business… or make you feel like you're still stuck in the second inning?

This week, we bring a real convo about AI (not the buzzword nonsense). Mark Andrews pulls back the curtain on what AI actually is, what most businesses get wrong, and how entrepreneurs can stop being overwhelmed and start using AI for real business growth without selling their souls (or wallets) to tech bros.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• AI isn't some magic brain. It's pattern prediction on steroids

• ChatGPT is just the tip of the iceberg

• Most companies screw up AI because they don't know why they want it

• Bad data = bad results; cleaning data is where the real value starts

• You don't need a $2M custom AI. You need direction and purpose

• Early adopters will crush competitors while skeptics get left eating dust

• AI fatigue is real — but smart use = more time, more focus, more revenue

💡 Notable Takeaway: There is a test and learn and trial mentality… and you need to leave your comfort zone.

👤 About our Guest:

Mark builds AI that humans can actually use. He's helped big companies and scrappy startups turn confusing tech into clear business results. From baseball analogies to real-world workflows, he breaks AI down in a way that makes you say, "Okay, now I get it."

🎧 Why Listen: You want a business that wins tomorrow? Hit play. This episode gives you a clear-eyed look at what AI really does and how to make it work for your team.

🔗 Links + Stuff

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

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

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

Want to invest in real estate without swinging a hammer or begging a bank?

Matt and Lou sit down with Alex Martyn of SPG Capital to talk about how smart investors are bypassing Wall Street and making their money work in real estate through private lending.

This episode is about the real engine behind flips and rentals: capital. Alex breaks down how his fund operates, why he pays investors monthly, and what makes a good borrower (hint: it's not newbies watching HGTV).

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• How SPG Capital funds real estate deals without bank red tape

• What makes private lending a killer strategy for passive investors

• Why speed, trust, and monthly payments matter more than ever

• How self-directed IRAs are unlocking access to real estate for everyday investors

• Why 50‑year mortgages might not be as scary as they sound

💡 Notable Takeaway:

It's just gonna come down to the same thing. People who own assets will get farther ahead.

👤 About our Guest:

Alex Martyn is the founder of SPG Capital, a private real estate fund based in Philly. He funds residential loans for fix‑and‑flip and value-add investors, while offering monthly payouts to private capital partners. A former flipper turned fund manager, he's all about speed, trust, and returns.

🎧 Why Listen:

If you're a business owner, investor, or side hustler thinking about real estate, this episode gives you the playbook on new mortgage strategies, alternative funding hacks, and why Florida might be your next move.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• SPG Capital
• LinkedIn

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

Luigi couldn't make it to the mic this time… but don't worry, we had a special guest fresh off his sleigh: Santa Claus. That's right. After delivering toys across the globe, Santa himself dropped by to join Matt and help break down the Top 10 most-listened-to episodes of 2025.

• How to protect your brand from copycats

• Why profit isn't just about more revenue

• The emotional side of being a founder (and why that's normal)

• The secret weapon difference between a CPA and a CFO

• And the tax strategy that legally makes five-figure bills disappear

Ready to dive deeper into one of the episodes mentioned? We've got you covered:

1. Ep 221: Navigating E-Commerce's New Challenges with Eric Youngstrom

2. Ep 217: Building a Startup Is Ugly. Here's What Happens Behind the Scenes with Sahil Patel

3. Ep 222: How to Own Your Idea: IP Moves That Actually Work with Austin Bonderer

4. Ep 206: Bourbon, Branding & The Business of Food with Alex Sadowsky

5. Ep 223: From Paperwork to Purpose: Launching a Nonprofit the Right Way with Missy Mastel

6. Ep 205: Plan Like a Navy Commander, Win Like an Entrepreneur with Commander Mary Kelly

7. Ep 228: Selling Your Business? Don't Get Screwed (Financially or Existentially) with Eric Brotman

8. Ep 207: CPA vs CFO: Are You Trusting the Wrong Financial Expert with Teresa Wagonseller

9. Ep 225: How to Turn What You Know Into What You Sell with Stephene Marinaro

10. Ep 208: How This CPA Turned Storage Sheds Into Tax-Free Wealth with Sean Graham

As Santa said, no one made the naughty list this year, but these guests?

They brought the 🔥.

From startup resilience to real estate hacks to IP protection and AI wizardry, this is the entrepreneurial highlight reel you need before stepping into 2026.

🚨 Like what you hear? Well, you're in luck! We do a Weekly Recap video of the top news stories each week. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss a drop. youtube.com/@Credit_Banc

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

🔥 Was 2025 really overwhelming… or did we just scroll WAY too much?

Matt and Lou slam through the weirdest year in business and culture, taking stock of inflation noise, AI mania, internet frenzy, hiring headaches, and what the hell actually moved the needle for entrepreneurs.

Part reflection, part roast, 100% Liquid Lunch energy.

🍸 Key Highlights:

• Inflation still there, but news made it freakier than it was

• AI buzz was everywhere — real impact vs hype battle

• Hiring sucks. Gig minds + remote everything = chaos

• K‑shaped economy: winners vs the squeezed middle

• Biggest "internet moments" (yes, Katy Perry in space)

• What actually helped business owners this year

• 2026 playbook: accounting, credit, tax prep

• Rapid fire reflections on trends, dumb internet stuff, and what must die before 2026

🎧 Why Listen:

If you ran a business, hired anyone, checked Twitter once this year, or just survived 2025, this episode is your mental detox and truth serum. Get the laugh, the perspective, and the pep talk you didn't know you needed.

🚨 Like what you hear? Well, you're in luck! We do a Weekly Recap video of the top news stories each week. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss a drop. youtube.com/@Credit_Banc

What if your future kid could hear from a grandparent who's no longer here? Not in a cheesy, preloaded card, but a real message, made just for them?

This week, Matt grabs a digital drink with Jared Emerick, Founder & CEO of Emotiga, the company behind Kapsol, a platform that lets people record heartfelt messages today and deliver them years from now. Think wedding day notes from your late father, or advice from Grandpa showing up exactly when your kid needs it.

But don't get it twisted—this isn't sci-fi fluff. Jared's building tech that blends emotional intelligence, AI, and storytelling to bring meaning back into our hyper-automated world.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• How "Kapsol" lets you send messages into the future

• Why emotionally intelligent tech is the next big market

• The moment that sparked Jared's mission (and why it still gets him choked up)

• What entrepreneurs get wrong about "scaling" emotional connection

• Why the 50+ crowd might be your startup's secret weapon

• How to build software people feel, not just use

💡 Notable Takeaway: We're losing intergenerational wisdom…and relying on AI to fill that gap. That's dangerous.

👤 About our Guest:

Jared Emerick is the Founder & CEO of Emotiga, a platform designing emotionally intelligent tech that bridges the gap between people and their future moments. With roots in innovation, marketing, and storytelling, Jared's focused on building software that makes digital interaction more human—and helping people hold on to what matters most, even when they can't be there in person.

🎧 Why Listen: If you want to leave more behind than just a LinkedIn bio, hit play. This one stays with you.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• Emotiga: https://emotiga.com

• Connect with Jared: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredemerick

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaredemerick

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

When was the last time the person approving your business loan picked up their own phone?

In this episode, Matt and Lou sit down with Keith Costello, who built Locality Bank from the ground up, a tech‑forward community bank for real business owners. They dive into his "why," the nuts‑and‑bolts of launching a bank, the future of stable coins, and why the big banks aren't always the best choice for entrepreneurs.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• How Keith transitioned from military to Merrill Lynch to banking and finally to founding Locality Bank.

• Why he says community banking isn't dead—it just needed a reboot.

• The behind‑the‑scenes of getting a bank charter, FDIC insurance & raising ~$40 million from local business owners.

• Why many banks are failing local businesses and what entrepreneurs should demand instead.

• A primer on stablecoins: what they are, why they matter for small/medium businesses.

• How Locality Bank makes money and why the "spread" matters for business owners.

• The tech‑first, human‑touch model: balancing digital banking + sit‑down cigars with business owners.

• What's next for banking, payments, and local business ecosystems.

💡 Notable Takeaway:

Traditional finance is not going to go away… but stablecoins and crypto are coming very rapidly.

👤 About our Guest:

Keith Costello is the Founder & CEO of Locality Bank, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With prior exits in the banking world, Keith set out to build a new style of community bank designed for small and medium‑sized business owners. He's passionate about preserving local relationships, embracing technology, and enabling entrepreneurs to access the capital they need to grow.

🎧 Why Listen:

If you're building a business, seeking banking that gets you, or curious where finance is headed (yes—stable coins, crypto, and what it means for your next deal), press play now. This one's for builders who want banking that works with them, not against them.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• Linkedin profile

• [email protected]

• Locality Bank

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

What's the real reason your business growth feels like you're carrying bricks uphill?

On today's episode, Michael Walsh takes us behind the curtain of business growth, from "we're doing fine" to "we're doing great, but I'm drowning anyway." He walks through the hidden growth blockers (structures, people, manager vs. individual contributor), his "Freedom by Design" framework, and how to shift your business from a grind to something that actually frees you.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why the common growth trap isn't revenue; it's the structures you've outgrown and the people you can't manage.

• Why your top salesperson might be the worst person to promote into management.

• The difference between "authority + wisdom" and "connection → wisdom" in leadership.

• Michael's four human‑behavior levers (survive/thrive/connect/adapt) that drive business culture and freedom.

• The idea of "talking‑back‑money (TBM)"—why you should pass on the client who doesn't fit your values.

• How a strong core‑value system doesn't change when you grow. It anchors you even when everything else is different.

💡 Notable Takeaway: Freedom in your business, freedom from your business, and freedom because of your business.

👤 About our Guest:

Michael Walsh is the founder and CEO of the Walsh Business Growth Institute. He's authored multiple books—Business by Design, Thinking Big Is Not Enough, and Freedom by Design. He works with professional services and engineering‑type firms to scale from the 1‑to‑5‑to‑10‑million range and beyond by aligning people, process, and profit.

🎧 Why Listen: Don't just grow bigger; grow better. Hit play, listen with a notebook, and give your business the structure and human backbone it's been missing. You'll thank yourself later.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• Freedom by Design by Michael Walsh

• Walsh Business Growth Institute

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

What happens when a world‑class athlete trades the stage for the boardroom—and discovers the hardest competitor is the one in the mirror?

In this episode, Matt and Luigi sit down with Nathalia Melo, former Ms. Olympia, to talk about her journey from gym floors in Brazil to global stages, and how that athletic mindset maps straight onto entrepreneurship, body image, hustle, and building a life that works when the perfect time never comes.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• Nathalia's humble start: moving from Brazil to the U.S. with $300, living in a cockroach‑infested apartment, cleaning restaurants, and bartending before the bodybuilding world.

• How competition training (3‑4 hrs of cardio + 1–1.5 hrs lifting daily) pushed her body and mind…and why she now warns that competition is far from "healthy."

• The "fat closet / skinny closet" metaphor: the mental toll of fluctuating between extremes and losing sight of identity outside the stage.

• Why the devices, data, and perfection‑culture around fitness are creating more noise than help, and how busy high‑achievers sabotage themselves by waiting for perfect alignment.

• Practical strategies for busy professionals to stay consistent: build routines that work even when travel, kids, long hours, and chaos hit. Commit to something, not perfection.

• Transitioning from competitor to coach: how Nathalia flipped the script, began working with women in high‑stress professions, and focused on behavior, emotion, and sustainable habits instead of extreme "bro‑culture" fitness.

💡 Notable Takeaway:

"The deadline is literally the coffin."

👤 About our Guest: Nathalia Melo is a Brazilian‑born former Ms. Olympia (one of the most prestigious titles in bodybuilding) who turned her high‑performance athlete mindset into a coaching business. After years in the extreme world of fitness and competition—where she traveled, coached, and lived the spotlight—she shifted gears into helping busy professional women (law, finance, executives) design realistic, high‑impact lifestyles that include health, movement, and mental clarity.

🔊 Why Listen: Hit play, take notes, and let Nathalia's story remind you: you don't need perfect conditions—just a consistent decision to show up. Tune in now.

Connect with Nathalia:

• Website

• Podcast

• Instagram

• Facebook

📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod

🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat.

• Our website

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Audible

• YouTube

📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.

Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/

Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/

What if we told you the government owes you money…and you didn't even know it?

In this episode, Matt and Luigi sit down with Julio Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services, to peel back the curtain on how the tax code can actually become a tool — not a penalty — for entrepreneurs and real‑estate investors.

We talk about the game‑changer "big beautiful bill," why R&D tax credits matter even to non‑tech firms, how cost segregation among real‑estate players is far more than "just depreciation," and why your accountant might be asleep at the wheel.

Julio brings the engineering + tax combo that's usually reserved for the Fortune 500 … but we're showing you how to use it too.

🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:

• Julio explains how the R&D tax credit has been revived…and how business owners can go back three years to claim it.

• What qualifies as "R&D"? Even a honey company changing formulas counts: it's about improving processes and products.

• Cost segregation in real estate: how classifying non‑structural elements (HVAC, lighting, flooring) can allow huge write‑offs up front.

• Comparing an estimate vs. an engineered study for tax purposes, and why the IRS will toss the first and respect the second.

• How cost segregation ties into a 1031 exchange and impacts your basis, and what happens when you pass the property on via inheritance (step‑up basis).

• The future of accounting: AI, talent shortages, and how firms that can't keep up will lose.

• Julio's story: from Miami family‑house chaos to tax reform pioneer, bringing elite tax strategies to "regular" business owners.

💡 Notable Takeaway: The government doesn't have to be a 50% owner of your profit.

👤 About our Guest:

Julio Gonzalez is the founder & CEO of Engineered Tax Services (ETS), a national firm that blends engineering, tax, and accounting to bring specialty tax credits and cost‑segregation studies (historically for Fortune 500s) to entrepreneurs and real‑estate investors. His mission: tax equality for small business owners, converting tax liabilities into wealth‑building play.

🎧 Why Listen: If you own a business, invest in real estate, or are about to sell/transition your company, don't leave money on the table. Hit play, take notes, then connect with your CPA (and maybe Julio's team) to see if you're owed. This isn't a "maybe one day" strategy. Time is ticking.

🔗 Links + Stuff

• Free R+D Tax Credit Estimate

• Free Cost Segregation Analysis

• Free copy of Julio's book, Why Billionaires Love the Tax Code. Text "Y" to 26786

• Engineered Tax Services Website