Carson's Corner: Entrepreneurship & Investing

Carson Jones
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Carson's Corner is the podcast for entrepreneurs, investors, and commercial real estate operators who think in decades, not quarters.Host Carson Jones — investor, author of The Red Flag Playbook, and licensed commercial real estate advisor and business broker — interviews founders, family offices, and industry operators to unpack the deals, strategies, and hard lessons behind real wealth creation.Carson's Corner is built for investors, entrepreneurs, and operators who are serious about long-term wealth creation — not get-rich-quick schemes. The world’s wealthiest investors approach investing very differently than most people. Instead of chasing short-term returns, they focus on preserving wealth, reputation, and legacy across generations. Their decisions are often driven as much by relationships and trusted networks as by financial models, and many of their best opportunities come through private deals, family offices, and invitation-only circles, not public markets. Each episode brings a commercial real estate lens to capital deployment, business partnerships, and alternative investments.  Topics covered: commercial real estate investing · industrial real estate · syndications · passive investing · oil & gas · alternative assets · business acquisitions · capital partnerships · entrepreneurship · wealth building · family office strategies · market risk · reshoring trendsFor business or property evaluations you can reach Carson Jones at 615-212-5524 - Carson@passive.investmentseXp Commercial - Passive Investmentshttps://passive.investments/

  1. Turning Raw Land Into Returns: Without the 5-Year Wait | Brandon Cobb

    16H AGO

    Turning Raw Land Into Returns: Without the 5-Year Wait | Brandon Cobb

    Send us Fan Mail Most investors think you have to be a national homebuilder to profit from America's housing shortage. Brandon Cobb built a business proving otherwise. In this episode of Carson's Corner, Carson sits down with Brandon Cobb — founder of HBG Capital and creator of the Land Development Accelerator — to break down what he calls the fastest-growing secret in real estate: American land development. The opportunity is hard to ignore. More than 33% of homebuyers are searching for their first home, yet fewer than 10% of new homes being built are actually affordable to them. Brandon's playbook is to take raw land, move it through development, and deliver finished, build-ready lots to national homebuilders — often pre-sold before a shovel ever hits the dirt. Brandon walks through the three phases of development that drive value: entitlement (getting raw land approved for a new community), infrastructure (grading and installing utilities to create a ready-to-build neighborhood), and vertical construction (building the homes). He explains his "reverse engineering" strategy — identifying where national homebuilders are already buying and targeting larger parcels nearby to create forced appreciation before he ever purchases the asset. In this conversation, Carson and Brandon get into: → How land development creates value in a corner of real estate most investors never look at → Why entry-level housing is one of the most recession-resistant assets in the country → The three phases that move raw land from dirt to a finished community → How pre-selling to a national homebuilder mitigates risk before you close → The due diligence that protects beginners — geotech, phase one environmental, and endangered species reports → Why Brandon prefers private lenders over banks for flexible terms and fewer called loans → How AI agents are now automating bookkeeping, due diligence, and admin work in his deals → Who the Land Development Accelerator is really built for — and who it isn't Whether you're a builder looking to scale, a land flipper hunting bigger deals, or an entrepreneur searching for a real asset play, this conversation lays out the model from the ground up. Resources: → Free course — Land Development 101: https://learnlanddevelopment.com → Passive investment opportunities: https://hbgcap.net/waitlist → HBG Capital: https://www.hbgcapital.net Connect with Brandon Cobb at HBG Capital. Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    34 min
  2. Bought an HVAC Business, Almost Lost It All, Then Did 9 More | Nathan Lindley

    MAY 19

    Bought an HVAC Business, Almost Lost It All, Then Did 9 More | Nathan Lindley

    Send us Fan Mail What does it look like to buy a business with zero industry experience, nearly go broke twice, and still build a 10-company HVAC roll-up out of McKinney, TX? Nathan Lindley lived it. In February 2020 — just weeks before COVID shut down the world — Nathan closed on his first HVAC acquisition using his own equity, his dad's retirement, and an inheritance loan from a friend. The business came with exactly one technician who held all the leverage, an owner-dependent customer base, and a model that almost ended Nathan's entrepreneurial career before it started. After 15 years running a book publishing company, Nathan wanted something more consistent. What he got instead was a crash course in why buying a $250K mom-and-pop with no operational experience is one of the most dangerous moves in small business acquisition. In this episode, Carson and Nathan break down: Why his first acquisition almost killed the entire visionThe straight-commission overhaul that turned the business around and unlocked scaleHis "buying at-bats" framework — why he ignores current profitability and targets call volume insteadHow he competes against private equity-backed HVAC giants without paying their Google ad pricesThe roll-up playbook he'd use if he had to start over todayWhat he'd buy instead of HVAC — and whether he has any regretsWhy he believes most PE firms in the trades can't actually operate the businesses they acquireNow working on acquisition number 11 and eyeing a potential exit within the next year, Nathan shares the hard-won lessons that only come from almost losing it all — twice. Whether you're an aspiring acquirer, a roll-up operator, or an investor looking at the home services space, this conversation is a playbook in survival, incentive alignment, and building real enterprise value in a fragmented industry. Connect with Nathan Lindley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlindley/ Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    44 min
  3. The Future of Live Music Monetization: Band Buddy Founder Gregg Trosper

    MAY 13

    The Future of Live Music Monetization: Band Buddy Founder Gregg Trosper

    Send us Fan Mail A bucket on a fishing pole. That's how Gregg Trosper first watched a Nashville band collect tips, and that's the moment Band Buddy was born. In this episode of Carson's Corner, I sit down with Gregg Trosper, founder of Band Buddy, the mobile platform turning live performances into interactive, cashless, revenue-generating experiences for artists and venues. After a five-month beta across 295 live shows, artists using Band Buddy saw an average 42% lift in tips. Now Gregg is scaling the platform to power everything from neighborhood bars to stadium crowds. We get into: Why traditional tipping feels like "begging" and how digital changes the artist-fan dynamicThe gamification mechanic that lets fans bid up song requests and drives total tips higherBuilding "stage mode" vs. "crowd mode" — designing one platform for bars, theaters, and festivalsReducing friction with QR-code and text-based access instead of app store downloadsWhy 60% of venue patrons stay longer and return when interactivity is higher (and what that means for bar owners)The power of surrounding yourself with mentors, advisors with prior exits, and the right development partnerBuilding a startup inside Nashville's music ecosystemThis conversation is bigger than live music. It's a case study in spotting a real-world problem, validating it with data, and building technology that aligns the incentives of artists, fans, and venues all at once. If you're an entrepreneur, investor, or anyone curious about where fan engagement and creator monetization are headed, this one is for you. Learn more or get Band Buddy at your venue: https://bandbuddylive.com Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    38 min
  4. Extend & Pretend Is Over: Negotiating Distressed CRE Debt from Strength with Shlomo Chopp

    APR 28

    Extend & Pretend Is Over: Negotiating Distressed CRE Debt from Strength with Shlomo Chopp

    Send us Fan Mail The era of "extend and pretend" is winding down — and for borrowers staring at distressed multifamily and office loans, the next move could define the next decade of their portfolio. In this episode, Carson sits down with Shlomo Chopp, Managing Partner of CASE and one of the most respected voices in distressed commercial real estate, to break down exactly how borrowers can negotiate from a position of strength when the loan starts going sideways. With over 20 years in the trenches and nearly $5 billion in CRE deals invested, structured, or advised on, Shlomo has seen every flavor of workout — from CMBS nightmares to family-office repositions. He's also the inventor behind four CRE-related patents and the retailOS™ platform, and has been named a "Top Retail Expert" by RETHINK RETAIL five years running. In other words: when Shlomo talks distressed debt, lenders, borrowers, and operators listen. Inside this conversation, you'll learn: Why relationships only carry you so far — and what actually moves a lender to grant reliefThe single biggest mistake borrowers make with their cash before walking into a workout (and why it kills their leverage)How to "re-underwrite" your own asset like a new acquisition so you can have an honest conversation with the lenderWhat lenders actually want (hint: it's almost never the keys to your building)The negotiation tactics that work in high-stakes restructures — and the ultimatums that blow deals upWhen to fix it at the property level vs. when it's time to bring the lender to the tableThe early warning signs that your business plan has shifted from a real plan to "hope" Whether you own a single value-add deal or a portfolio of 70+ properties, this episode is a masterclass in protecting your equity, your guarantees, and your reputation when the market turns against you. If you're an entrepreneur, investor, or operator in commercial real estate, this is the conversation you need to hear before you make your next call to your lender. 🎧 Tune in to Carson's Corner: Entrepreneurship & Investing — and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share with someone navigating a tough deal right now. Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    34 min
  5. Dave Seymour: From A&E Flipping Boston to Impact Investing

    APR 6

    Dave Seymour: From A&E Flipping Boston to Impact Investing

    Send us Fan Mail Impact investing isn’t just about returns—it’s about changing lives while building real cash flow. In this episode, Dave Seymour shares how he went from firefighter and paramedic to starring on Flipping Boston—and ultimately into one of the most compelling impact investment models in real estate today: sober living facilities. Now 36 years sober, Dave is combining purpose and profit by acquiring multifamily properties and converting them into recovery housing—creating strong returns through a “rent-by-the-bed” model while building environments that genuinely change lives. We break down: How impact investing can outperform traditional real estateThe sober living model (and why it works financially)The role of the Dover Amendment in scalingHow insurance-backed outpatient programs boost revenueStructuring deals targeting ~14% returns over 24 monthsThis isn’t theory—this is a model where mission and margins align. Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    36 min
  6. Winning the Pitch Slam & Building a 12% Fund: Inside Justin Spillers' Playbook

    MAR 30

    Winning the Pitch Slam & Building a 12% Fund: Inside Justin Spillers' Playbook

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to win a Pitch Slam in front of seasoned investors at one of real estate's biggest conferences? Justin Spillers — attorney, e-commerce entrepreneur, and founder of Real Estate Alpha — just did exactly that at the Best Ever Conference 2026, and in this episode he breaks down exactly how. Justin's journey is anything but a straight line. He spent seven years as a corporate attorney during the early e-commerce and offshore manufacturing boom, then built a contract manufacturing and online brand business that surpassed $100 million in sales over five years. Today, he channels that legal precision and operational discipline into a laser-focused Midwest multifamily strategy — and investors are taking notice. We dig into the nuts and bolts of Real Estate Alpha's playbook: targeting C-class apartment complexes along the I-75 corridor in Western Ohio, converting them to B and B+ assets, and doing it faster than nearly anyone else in the market. Justin's team underwrites roughly 1,200 deals per year to hand-select just two to four "home run" acquisitions — then executes with a fully vertically integrated operation that turns units in seven days or less (with a goal of 96 hours). We also get into the preferred equity fund structure Justin built to give investors something rare: a fixed 12% annual return, 90-day liquidity after year one, a return-of-capital tax strategy that can defer taxes until year nine, and $31 million in existing portfolio equity serving as a protective buffer — with Justin putting in 50% of acquisition capital himself. In this episode: Winning the Pitch Slam at Best Ever Conference 2026 — and the strategy behind itWhy Justin's firm underwrites 1,200 deals a year to buy just 2–4The 7-day unit turn model and how standardization makes it workHow his legal and e-commerce background shapes smarter deal structuringThe preferred equity fund built around transparency, downside protection, and liquidityWhy "nervousness is just a lack of preparation" — and how that mindset drives everythingSupport the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    37 min
  7. Joe Fairless: Building a $2.7B Apartment Portfolio & the Best Ever CRE Brand

    MAR 16

    Joe Fairless: Building a $2.7B Apartment Portfolio & the Best Ever CRE Brand

    Send us Fan Mail What does it actually take to build a $2.7 billion real estate platform from scratch? Joe is the co-founder of Ashcroft Capital, a firm managing roughly $2.7B in assets across 14,000 doors through large-scale multifamily investments. He's also the creator of the world's longest-running daily real estate investing podcast, co-author of the Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book, and founder of the Best Ever Conference — one of the largest real estate gatherings in the country. But what stood out most wasn't the scale. It was the mindset. Joe went from the youngest VP at a New York City ad agency to closing an $6M, 84-unit multifamily deal in Cincinnati — and never looked back. He built his platform the old-fashioned way: showing up every single day, doing what he said he'd do, and then a little extra. In this episode we cover: How Joe transitioned from Madison Avenue to managing billions in real estateWhy he committed to a daily podcast for 2,000 straight days — and what it builtWhat actually separates successful operators from everyone elseHis current investment focus: Class A & B multifamily with a distress componentWhy integrity compounds just like capitalSupport the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    26 min
  8. Institutional & Family Office Capital: How the .001% Invest with Salvatore Buscemi

    MAR 10

    Institutional & Family Office Capital: How the .001% Invest with Salvatore Buscemi

    Send us Fan Mail Salvatore Buscemi, is the founder and managing partner of Brahmin Partners, a capital strategist operating at the highest levels of global finance. From SpaceX and Stripe to AI.io, and institutional commercial real estate, Sal doesn’t just analyze big deals — he’s often in the room where they happen. Two of his portfolio companies have secured investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — widely considered one of the most sophisticated institutional investors in the world. Sal works directly with ultra-high-net-worth families and sovereign wealth capital, structuring private direct investments across technology, venture, and real estate.  Sal is also a three-time author, including the acclaimed book “Investing Legacy: How the .001% Invest,” which pulls back the curtain on how elite investors deploy capital. My personal favorite is “Calling the Capital — 20 Ways to Incorporate Urgency Into Your Capital Raise Without Sounding Desperate,” a tactical guide every serious capital raiser and commercial real estate professional should read. In this conversation we dive into: • How family offices actually invest — and why many avoid traditional funds • What sovereign wealth investors look for before writing massive checks • Why Sal refuses to invest with first-time operators • The dangers of today’s overbuilt multifamily markets • Why disciplined underwriting matters when cheap capital disappears • How personal relationships and trust drive institutional capital decisions • A real story of raising $1M in four days using creative investor psychology • Why charisma and personal brand matter when raising capital • Sal’s strategy for hosting exclusive investor mastermind events • His outlook on geopolitics, oil markets, and global trade routes Sal also shares insights from his own career journey — from Goldman Sachs to launching institutional funds and eventually managing capital directly for family offices. If you’re raising capital, building relationships with family offices, or trying to understand how the top 0.001% of investors think, this episode is packed with practical insight. Free Book Offer Sal has generously offered listeners a free signed copy of his book: “Investing Legacy: How the .001% Invest.” To request a copy, email Sal directly: 📩 sal@brahminpartners.com Support the show For business or property evaluations you can reach me at 615-212-5524 Or  Carson@passive.investments Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonjones/ Other Episodes: https://carsonscorner.media/ https://passive.investments/podcast/ Watch all episodes with no commercials on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/12248178 https://rumble.com/c/Carsonscorner Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All investments and property ownership carry risk, including the potential loss of principal.

    36 min
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About

Carson's Corner is the podcast for entrepreneurs, investors, and commercial real estate operators who think in decades, not quarters.Host Carson Jones — investor, author of The Red Flag Playbook, and licensed commercial real estate advisor and business broker — interviews founders, family offices, and industry operators to unpack the deals, strategies, and hard lessons behind real wealth creation.Carson's Corner is built for investors, entrepreneurs, and operators who are serious about long-term wealth creation — not get-rich-quick schemes. The world’s wealthiest investors approach investing very differently than most people. Instead of chasing short-term returns, they focus on preserving wealth, reputation, and legacy across generations. Their decisions are often driven as much by relationships and trusted networks as by financial models, and many of their best opportunities come through private deals, family offices, and invitation-only circles, not public markets. Each episode brings a commercial real estate lens to capital deployment, business partnerships, and alternative investments.  Topics covered: commercial real estate investing · industrial real estate · syndications · passive investing · oil & gas · alternative assets · business acquisitions · capital partnerships · entrepreneurship · wealth building · family office strategies · market risk · reshoring trendsFor business or property evaluations you can reach Carson Jones at 615-212-5524 - Carson@passive.investmentseXp Commercial - Passive Investmentshttps://passive.investments/

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