Real Returns

Birgo Capital
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Investing
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to the Real Returns podcast, where we learn how real investments can make a real impact. Join your hosts, Andrew and Dan, as they share stories and interview business leaders on how real estate and other forms of investment can create meaningful change for individuals and communities around the world.

  1. 5d ago

    S9E4 - Vicky Schiff | Private Credit and Loan to Cost Investing

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Vicky Schiff, CEO and founder of Avrio Clean Fund and a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded six firms over three decades in real estate. Vicki breaks down how private credit actually works, from senior loans and stretch senior proceeds to the debt yield math lenders use to protect their basis. She and Andrew also dig into why the recent private credit "exodus" headlines are mostly a corporate credit story, how construction cost overruns and rate hikes have squeezed multifamily borrowers, and how Avrio's PACE financing ties sustainability improvements to better loan economics.   Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: When A Loan Goes Underwater 00:48 - Welcome And Meet Vicki Schiff 02:40 - What Private Credit Actually Is 05:02 - Senior Loans, Stretch Senior, And Mezzanine 06:30 - Loan To Cost, Loan To Value, And Debt Yield Explained 09:24 - Why Borrowers Choose Private Credit Over A Bank 13:38 - The Private Credit "Exodus" Headlines, Explained 15:57 - How Construction Costs And Rate Hikes Sink A Deal 18:21 - Where The Opportunity Is Now 21:08 - PACE Financing And The Double Bottom Line 24:55 - How To Connect With Vicky - "Somebody makes a loan to build a multifamily asset. That multifamily asset is supposed to be worth that $120 million that I just mentioned to you. But when it's built, it's worth 90, and it didn't cost 100, it cost 110, because construction costs went up." — Vicki Schiff Connect with Vicky: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-schiff-46b6361b Avrio CleanFund: https://www.avrio-cleanfund.com/ - For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s9e4-vicky-schiff-private-credit-and-loan-to-cost-investing/id1642761377?i=1000792460825 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ewFDu5pBg1VgdSCoulWOb?si=pCj3QMtSQ-iwd3KebFnDZA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0leuW-VglFE — Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_vickyschiff&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform* bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. *The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_vickyschiff&utm_content=reiturn_raise

    S9E4 - Vicky Schiff | Private Credit and Loan to Cost Investing

  2. Sep 23

    S9E3 - Joe Cardosi | The Four Ps of Specialty Pharmacy

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Joe Cardosi, Founder and CEO of Free Market Health, a healthcare technology company that connects patients to the specialty pharmacies equipped to treat their most complex diagnoses. Joe breaks down why a tiny slice of patients, those on specialty drugs for conditions like cancer or cystic fibrosis, drive the majority of a health plan's total drug spend, and why the system built around them is often too slow and too fragmented to serve the people it exists for. He and Andrew also get into what it actually took to build a fast-growing company and a five-kid family in the same stretch of life. "One to two percent of patients are driving 55 to 60% of a health plan's drug spend." — Joe Cardosi, Founder & CEO, Free Market Health Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joe-cardosi/ Website: freemarkethealth.com — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s9e3-joe-cardosi-the-four-ps-of-specialty-pharmacy/id1642761377?i=1000791348758 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tcv3M19JzAWAQpxP1YdCd?si=uJj-dgVrT52fMyzrzgJBbQ YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6Y9dNAc-lQ — Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_joecardosi&utm_content=reiturn_raise

    S9E3 - Joe Cardosi | The Four Ps of Specialty Pharmacy

  3. Sep 16

    S9E2 - Kevin Morris | Crowdfunding Capital in the Modern World

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Kevin Morris, founder of Atlas Rd, who has helped raise over $350 million in capital across his own companies and the businesses he now advises. Kevin traces the evolution of equity crowdfunding from a fallback for companies that could not raise anywhere else to a tool blue chip brands are choosing on purpose, and makes the case for why a cap table of 10,000 small investors can be a bigger asset than a single VC check. He and Andrew also get into the work they are doing together on Reiturn, Birgo's platform built to bring real estate investing to everyday investors. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: The Math Behind Crowdfunding's Reach 00:47 - Meet Kevin Morris 02:05 - From Deloitte To CFO To Capital Raising 06:35 - How The JOBS Act Opened The Door 09:40 - Blue Chip Companies Embracing Equity Crowdfunding 12:15 - A Tough Market Pushes Founders To Crowdfunding 15:00 - Trend Or Permanent Shift In Capital Raising 17:30 - Why 10,000 Investors Beat One VC 19:45 - Impact: Access, Cheerleaders, And Growth 21:10 - Building Reiturn With Birgo 22:50 - How To Reach Kevin "I view having this many investors as something that's really going to help propel your business over time. And you have 10,000 cheerleaders. What's better than that?" — Kevin Morris Connect with Kevin: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevin-morris-30510b16 Website: atlas-rd.com - For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-returns/id1642761377 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW8J1h3xsEWLuVPzm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjlzrIn04Ee4iBPE7kEUBjg/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com - Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e2_morris&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e2_morris&utm_content=reiturn_raise

    S9E2 - Kevin Morris | Crowdfunding Capital in the Modern World

  4. Sep 9

    S9E1 - Jay Parsons | What the Data Actually Says about Rental Housing

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Jay Parsons, a rental housing economist, advisor, and podcaster who helps investors and other stakeholders make sense of what's actually happening in apartments and single-family rentals. Jay pulls back the curtain on the data behind today's multifamily market, from where institutional capital is and isn't looking, to why the national affordability conversation gets the real story wrong. He and Andrew also get into migration patterns within a single metro, the flight to quality reshaping renter demand, and where the next decade of returns will actually come from. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: Migration Back To Local Markets 00:53 - Meet Jay Parsons 02:46 - Why Execution Now Matters More Than Ever 04:58 - Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, And Cleveland Fly Under Radar 07:57 - The Flight To Quality Among Renters 10:01 - Migration Patterns Within A Single Metro 11:57 - Solving The Affordable Housing Shortage 15:54 - Rethinking The National Affordability Narrative 20:16 - Why The Next Cycle Is About NOI 22:34 - How To Reach Jay "If you take out that population, we do not have an affordability crisis in the U.S. on a national level." — Jay Parsons Connect with Jay: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jay-parsons-a7a6656 Website: jayparsons.com — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: [link pending] Spotify: [link pending] YouTube: [link pending] — Subscribe to our NEW monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Invest alongside Birgo in Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e1_jayparsons&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000.  – The equity crowdfunding round to support and own a share of Reiturn® is live now at invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e1_jayparsons&utm_content=reiturn_raise

    S9E1 - Jay Parsons | What the Data Actually Says about Rental Housing

  5. Jun 24

    S8E9 - Season 8 Recap

    In the Season 8 finale, Andrew and Dan look back on an incredible season of guests. Four years in, the hosts reflect on what makes this podcast meaningful: the honest, humanizing stories of entrepreneurs who aren't afraid to talk about what it really takes to find success. Greg Furer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lg8fgAuI_g Solving the "Cheesecake Factory problem" in financial planning, and why simplicity and trust matter more than the size of the inheritance. Adam Taki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVNOkqDbZY Why tax lien investing isn't what you think, and how an overlooked niche turns non-performing assets into performing ones. Patrick Colletti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wtkc17P5vk What it means to be a "refounder," and the leadership lessons that only come from building the same business twice. Dr. Dinakar Golla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JP27rWDkEw What medicine and investing share when it comes to precision, patience, and trust. Mary Fearon: https://youtu.be/KgMOCaX7Slo Why people do their best work when the work actually means something to them. Hisham Albahar: https://youtu.be/VyWwDGxQ-0o Navigating geopolitical complexity and leading with vulnerability in a world that rarely slows down. Afif Ghannoum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vUnLmlc0Xw Betting on science over hype, and the personal health journey that made this conversation so candid. - Connect with Us! Birgo Capital: Website: https://birgocapital.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/birgocapital Hosts: Andrew Reichert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewreichert/ Dan Croce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcroce/ Subscribe to our NEW 'Investing on Purpose' newsletter! (it won't be NEW after this season!) https://realreturnspodcast.com

    S8E9 - Season 8 Recap

  6. Jun 10

    S8E8 - Afif Ghannoum | Building Trust in the World of Supplements

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Afif Ghannoum, founder and CEO of CPG Radar, a platform that uses big data and AI to help consumer brands accelerate innovation in the supplement space. Afif pulls back the curtain on how the supplement industry actually works, from the brands getting it right to the ones cutting dangerous corners, and explains why the data behind what you put in your body matters more than most people realize. He and Andrew also dig into the 85/15 principle, the hidden challenge of AI hallucinations in CPG data, and where the science on ingredients like peptides and creatine gummies actually stands. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Real Returns Season 8 01:07 - Meet Afif Ghannoum 01:30 - Supplement industry boom: $72.9B and growing 03:35 - What impact really means in CPG 05:00 - The 85/15 principle explained 06:29 - Omega-3s, fish oil, and the AI data normalization problem 09:32 - Quality, purity, and what's really in your supplements 14:02 - How to spot a trustworthy brand 16:55 - The rise of TikTok brands and ingredient shortcuts 18:13 - Peptides, postbiotics, and the science vs. hype gap 20:20 - Creatine gummies: consumer demand vs. real efficacy 23:28 - How to reach Afif "Many supplements are not cheap, but I will tell you, there is really something about you kind of get what you pay for. That's why anytime you see whether it's a private label product or like a super value brand...if you're seeing everyone else is like $30, $40 and these guys are $9.99...you got to do the math." — Afif Ghannoum Connect with Afif: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afifghannoum/ Website: cpgradar.com — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-returns/id1642761377 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW8J1h3xsEWLuVPzm YouTube: youtube.com/@realreturns — Subscribe to our NEW monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA

    S8E8 - Afif Ghannoum | Building Trust in the World of Supplements

  7. May 27

    S8E7 - Hisham Albahar | Logistics and Geopolitics in the Middle East

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Hisham Albahar, CEO of three logistics companies operating in the UAE and GCC region. Hisham shares a candid firsthand account of running a logistics business in the middle of an active conflict, how supply chain disruption rippled across an entire region, and why he believes scale and consolidation are the keys to modernizing a fragmented, century-old industry. He and Andrew also discover they're running nearly identical playbooks toward the same billion-dollar goal! Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Real Returns Season 8 01:07 - Meet Hisham Albahar 01:23 - How Andrew and Hisham connected through YPO 03:15 - Living and working through conflict in Dubai 05:24 - Media perception vs. reality on the ground 06:40 - Supply chain disruption: Strait of Hormuz and airport closures 08:44 - Why logistics is invisible until it breaks 10:02 - Touching people's lives through delivery 11:15 - AI in logistics: WhatsApp bots, route optimization, and dev efficiency 14:15 - Buying and consolidating logistics companies 15:43 - The 2030 vision: a billion in assets under management 18:24 - Economies of scale and the 1+1=4 principle 19:49 - How to reach Hisham "Throughout the Strait of Hormuz, you have Jebel Ali, which is one of the largest ports in the region, you've got the Qatar ports, you've got the Kuwaiti ports, you've got the Bahraini ports. So, all of those countries have been heavily impacted." — Hisham Albahar Connect with Hisham: Email: hisham@elite-co.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisham-albahar-1755a824/ — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW... YouTube:    / @realreturns      — Subscribe to our NEW monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA

    S8E7 - Hisham Albahar | Logistics and Geopolitics in the Middle East

  8. May 13

    S8E6 - Mary Fearon | Bringing Purpose to the Employee Experience

    In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Mary Fearon, Founder and CEO of OnPrpose, a leadership and communications firm built on the belief that stories change people and people change the world. Mary makes the case that the staggering employee disengagement crisis isn't a people problem, it's a culture problem; and shares what it actually looks like to help leaders reconnect their teams to purpose, identity, and the work that matters. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening Segment 00:43 - Welcome & Guest Introduction 01:34 - What Mary Is Building: Connected Organizations 03:24 - More Connected Than Ever, Yet More Isolated 05:27 - Gallup's Record-Low Engagement Numbers, and Why It's Not Surprising 07:58 - How Do You Actually Define Purpose? 10:41 - Why Stories Are the Engine of Change 12:21 - What About the Skeptic? Meeting People Where They Are 13:26 - The Factory Story: Proof That Everyone Wants to Contribute 18:20 - AI and the Rise of the "Hard Soft Skill" 21:36 - Where to Follow Mary's Work 22:05 - Closing Segment "No amount of stuff you add onto the heap —the benefits, the volunteer days, the better salaries — matter at all if we don't address the person's mindset as they walk through the door." — Mary Fearon Connect with Mary: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-fearon-45515b22/ Website(s): OnPrpose: https://onprpose.com/ maryfearon.com: https://maryfearon.com/ Instagram: @MaryMFearon — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-returns/id1642761377 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW8J1h3xsEWLuVPzm YouTube:    / @realreturns      — Subscribe to our NEW monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA

    S8E6 - Mary Fearon | Bringing Purpose to the Employee Experience
See All (76)

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Real Returns podcast, where we learn how real investments can make a real impact. Join your hosts, Andrew and Dan, as they share stories and interview business leaders on how real estate and other forms of investment can create meaningful change for individuals and communities around the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Birgo Capital
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 All Right Reserved
  • Show Website
    Real Returns

You Might Also Like