The JustSayan Podcast

The JustSayan Podcast
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The intersection of business, grit, and high performance. Inside the minds of bold innovators. Hosted by the @_justsayan leadership team. Real talk. Real action. No fluff. New episodes dropping soon!

  1. Oct 15

    From Physical Therapist to 10 Apartment Deals (The market is soft...That's exactly why he's buying)

    When it's easy to raise money - 2021, 2022 - that's usually when you're buying at the top. When it's hard to raise money, which is where we are right now, that's when your investors get their best returns. That's not a theory. Nic Espinet has closed ten multifamily deals, just sold a 228-unit property after holding it through Covid, bad property management, an eviction moratorium, and a full market correction, and returned more than 2x to every investor in that deal. Nic started as a physical therapist from a small town outside Fort Worth with one stoplight and no real estate experience. He spent years in paralysis by analysis before finally going passive on a couple of deals, realizing he could do it himself, and partnering with more experienced operators to get his first lead deal done in February 2018. He never quit PT until multifamily had already replaced his income. He still has his license. He structured every move to minimize downside before maximizing upside. This episode is for anyone who wants to understand how a methodical, long-game approach to multifamily actually works in practice, and why the current market looks a lot like 2016 to 2018 for people paying attention. By the end of this conversation you will understand the exact secondary market criteria Nic uses to find deals where institutional money is not competing against him, how he structured his first deal to get a track record without needing to raise millions on his own, the KPIs he checks every week on every property and what they tell him, why boots-on-the-ground still matters even with a strong property management company, what the eviction moratorium actually did to operators who had bad screening processes, and why right now, when raising capital is hard, is the moment disciplined buyers will look back on the way 2008 buyers look back on 2008. If you have been sitting on the sideline waiting for the right time to get into multifamily, speak with Nic. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Why hard times to raise money produce the best investor returns 00:31 - Introducing Nic Espinet, Flex Equity Group 00:55 - From physical therapist to multifamily syndicator 03:14 - Growing up in Joshua, TX, one stoplight, Texas A&M, 20 years in PT 04:25 - Why insurance killed the joy of physical therapy 08:16 - Getting fired from a PT job and what it forced him to figure out 09:37 - The golden handcuffs of W2 employment and how he got around them 11:33 - What finally broke the paralysis by analysis 13:20 - Why he skipped single family entirely and went straight to multifamily 14:59 - The secondary market criteria: 100K population, three major employers 16:04 - How Abilene became the foundation of the portfolio 17:20 - Why boots on the ground still matters even with good management 18:57 - The KPIs Nic checks every week and what to do when they're off 21:22 - Vacant units, cash under the table, and why you walk properties randomly 23:42 - The eviction moratorium: 100K in unpaid rent and what he learned 25:57 - Curry Junction: buying in 2019, surviving Covid, and selling at 2x 29:16 - How to raise your first million and a half when nobody knows your name 31:16 - Building a track record by giving up equity on the first deal 32:58 - Why communication with investors matters more than the numbers 35:34 - How to know if a partner is worth working with before things go wrong 37:23 - Practicing underwriting at 10pm with a future business partner 43:00 - What multifamily has given his family that PT never could 44:11 - What he would do differently and what he would do exactly the same 46:50 - Why right now looks like 2016 to 2018 for people paying attention 53:07 - What Flex Equity is working on next Guest: Nic Espinet, Flex Equity Group Website: flexequitygroup.com Email: nic@flexequitygroup.com Schedule a call: visitwithnick.com 🎧 New episodes every 2 weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. 📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast

  2. Sep 1

    Wealth Expert Reveals Why the Biggest Wealth Transfer in History Is Happening Right Now

    An estimated $124 trillion in wealth, businesses, and real estate is set to transfer hands by 2040. Most people have never heard that number. Even fewer are positioned to benefit from it. Vera Wang is the founder of Peak Square Ventures, recently rebranded to Peak Legacy Capital, a commercial real estate investment firm focused on multifamily acquisitions. She immigrated from China in 2000 with a master's in computer science, built and exited a fashion manufacturing company that served over a thousand businesses, and now underwrites hundreds of deals a year in pursuit of the right ones. Her entire investment strategy is built around this single Her thesis: the biggest wealth transfer in history is already underway, and the window to get on the right side of it is now. This conversation breaks down what that transfer actually means for everyday investors and business owners, why most entrepreneurs are great at making money but are quietly losing ground when it comes to building wealth, and what Vera wishes she had known decades earlier before she figured out the difference between the two. You will walk away from this episode understanding why earned income and real wealth are not the same thing, how to evaluate whether an operator and opportunity are worth your money before you invest, why the distressed multifamily market right now is one of the most significant buying windows in recent history, and why women-controlled wealth doubling to $39 trillion by 2030 is one of the most overlooked financial stories of the decade. Vera also has two free resources mentioned in this episode. A pre-investment checklist covering exactly what to look for before putting money into any deal, and a 2026 State of the Market report with the full research behind her current investment thesis. Links are pinned below. CHAPTERS 00:00 — The $124 trillion wealth transfer no one is talking about 00:35 — Introducing Vera Wang, Peak Square Ventures 01:30 — Growing up in China and failing the national college exam at 16 03:49 — What a year of 5am study sessions taught her about focus and resilience 05:13 — Immigrating to the United States in 2000 07:25 — Using a master's in computer science to build a fashion business 08:40 — How Viviana Fashion started from a single conversation 22:33 — Exiting the business at a multi-million dollar valuation 25:53 — Entering commercial real estate and founding Peak Square Ventures 26:30 — The $124 trillion wealth transfer explained 27:07 — Women-controlled wealth doubling to $39 trillion by 2030 27:43 — Why distressed multifamily now mirrors 2008 single family 30:37 — Earned income versus real wealth and why most entrepreneurs get this wrong 32:22 — How to start transitioning from making money to owning assets 33:59 — Commercial real estate is a team sport 34:25 — How to evaluate an operator before you invest 36:56 — The VERA Framework: Vision, Execution, Return, Acceleration 41:22 — Underwriting 200 deals a year and still saying no to most 43:13 — The biggest thing she wishes she had done sooner 45:47 — Why the room you are in determines the ceiling you can see 52:22 — What women should do right now to capture the wealth transfer Vera's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verawangcassara?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Peak Legacy Capital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaklegacycapital?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Free resources from this episode: https://peaklegacycapital.com/free-download?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaf4ZJHbKXJ3M2BQ3uZTgOJRbVTK5aEZRjvlrH-IX_qI3BjCXKljEvg4sAq5Rg_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw 🎧 New episodes every 2 weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. 📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast #wealthbuilding #multifamilyrealestate #realestateinvesting #passiveincome #commercialrealestate #podcast #entrepreneurship

  3. Jul 15

    Former Neiman Marcus VP Walked Away From The Spotlight and Found What Actually Matters

    This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on this show.We get into growing up in Pleasant Grove and moving to Munich at eight, being an extra in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, calling Harvard's admissions director to reject the rejection letter, what fashion actually looks like behind closed doors, launching a national AIDS campaign with Farrah Fawcett without asking anyone's permission, the Gucci interview he walked out of, getting sick in Bali and ending up on life support in Manhattan, months of panic attacks that left him unable to leave his apartment in New York, what "the matrix" actually means and how you know if you're living in one, why the void never gets filled from the outside no matter what you accomplish, and the one piece of advice Dave gives to anyone who wants to actually know themselves.GUEST:Dave Lopez, Author of Still Point: Inner Peace is the New SuccessInstagram: @harvard_misfit🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast#personaldevelopment #entrepreneurship #mindset #selfawareness #podcast #justsayanpodcast #innerpeace #successmindset #fashion #harvard

  4. Jul 1

    He Worked Amazon at 5am, Then Brokered Million-Dollar Deals by 9 - Episode 11 with Tyler Bynum

    Tyler Bynum opened the Dallas office of Franklin Street roughly a year and a half ago after years of grinding through the toughest stretch of the multifamily market in recent memory. During the slow years, he ran a drone videography company on the side and worked the Amazon warehouse 5am to 9am before going straight to the office to dial for deals. He's still here. David Turner (DT) came up through 12 years of enterprise tech sales, taught himself real estate through fix-and-flips, got his broker's license, competed at the CrossFit Games in Australia, and is now part of the Sayan Renovations team. This one's aconversation between people who've been in the trenches on the broker side, the construction side, and the investor side, and they chat on what's actually happening in DFW right now.We get into:- Working Amazon at 5am to keep the lights on while brokering deals by day- A $7M LP pulling out 24 hours before closing - and how the deal still got saved- Why now might be the best time in years to come into multifamily as a new buyer- What a Broker Opinion of Value (BOV) actually is and how brokers use it- Why sellers are finally starting to come around on price expectations- The team approach Franklin Street is building differently than every other shop in Texas- What DT's background across GP, LP, broker, and construction sides does for deal conversations- What Tyler looks for when hiring - and why he'd rather see you at a happy hour than in an interview- How to survive the first year as a broker when deals aren't happening yetCHAPTERS01:28 Introductions: Tyler Bruszer and DT02:45 Tyler's path: Tulsa → ice hockey → Stream Realty → multifamily brokerage07:30 Should you go to college to get into real estate?10:00 - The new wave of younger, more methodical buyers entering the market12:00 - Are sellers finally becoming realistic?15:30 - What kept Tyler in the game during the slow years (Amazon warehouse, drone company)19:00 - How to survive year one as a broker when nothing is transacting23:00 - DT's background: tech sales → fix and flip → broker → CrossFit Games → construction28:00 - The $7M LP pulled out 24 hours before closing — what actually happened32:00 - What a BOV is and how brokers are using them right now38:00 - DFW market outlook: what's transacting, what's stuck, and what's next44:00 - How DT's multi-side background changes deal conversations49:00 - Building the Franklin Street Dallas team differently55:00 - What Tyler actually looks for when hiring60:00 - Tyler on 10 days out from becoming a first-time dadGUESTSTyler Bynum - Franklin Street, DallasDavid Turner (DT) - Sayan Renovations🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast#multifamilyrealestate #dallastrealestate #realestateinvesting #commercialrealestate #realestatebrokerage #podcast #justsayanpodcast #dfwrealestate

  5. Jun 15

    I've Owned Apartments Since 1990. Here's What 3 Decades In The Industry Teaches You.

    John Gillespie has been in the apartment business since 1990. He's the president of WAK Management Company, which owns and operates 4,500 units across 22 properties in North Texas and greater Nashville - and they still own the very first property they ever bought. No outside investors. No syndication pressure. Just 35 years of quiet, unglamorous work.John, a guy who's been through the RTC crisis of the late 80s, the post-9/11 insurance collapse, the 2008 recession, and the 2022–2025 multifamily cycle - is still standing, still walking properties at 6am, still having lunch with his 90-year-old mentor once a month.We get into:- Why they've never taken outside investors, and what that's actually meant over 35 years- The post-9/11 moment their entire insurance portfolio was about to lapse and nobody would write a policy- Buying Delray Village for $8M (appraised at $16M) and immediately realizing they'd made a mistake- What 30% resident turnover looks like when your competitors are at 80%- Why John still walks properties at 6am even with 130 staff and an executive team- The "limit one" candy dish story - and what it tells you about an operator- The three P's that have kept Wack at the top of the market for three decades- Where the DFW multifamily market is actually heading and what lenders are finally starting to accept- What 46 years of marriage and 27 years running the same company have in commonCHAPTERS00:00 — Intro & Mike Tyson's theory on business01:55 — John introduces Wack Management: 4,500 units, since 199002:45 — How John got pulled into real estate (it was an accident)04:10 — Buying apartments during the RTC crisis — worse than 200807:15 — The first property: 17 banks, closed December 31st09:00 — Growing up in Bishop Arts before it was Bishop Arts10:00 — Dick Aarons calls John to Dallas — the deal that started 27 years13:00 — Learning to manage people, not just properties16:30 — Why John still walks properties himself20:30 — The Saturday leasing agent conversations that taught him more than anything25:00 — Building an executive team and letting go of day-to-day28:00 — Why no outside investors has been their greatest advantage29:30 — Managing people: communication over performance management34:00 — Residents who've been there 25+ years — and the retired postal worker who barbecues with John37:30 — The three P's: People, Places, Profit (in that order)41:30 — What a "limit one" candy dish tells you about an operator45:00 — How to read a property in the first 60 seconds46:00 — Where the DFW market is now and when lenders will blink53:00 — Why 70–80% of listings in DFW didn't close last year55:00 — The 9/11 insurance crisis — the closest they ever came to losing everything62:00 — Delray Village: bought for $8M, regretted it immediately67:00 — Succession planning and working fewer hours at 27 years inGUESTJohn Gillespie - WAK Management Company🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast

  6. Jun 1

    He Was Told He'd Never Amount to Anything, Bought a Private Jet, and Built an Apartment Empire

    Brad Sumrock was 14 years into corporate America with an MBA, an engineering degree, and a boss who told him he'd never amount to anything because he took his lunch break and used his paid vacation. He got fired six months after closing the second-biggest deal in company history. Today he owns over 11,000 apartment units, has bought (and sold) his own $7 million private jet, and hasn't paid federal tax in 6 of the last 8 years - all of it legally.This one goes deep. Brad shares the four kinds of millionaire (and the one he actually wanted to become, until his CPA showed him a better path), how he hit a hockey-stick in 2018 that took him from a $1M tax bill to zero, and what 24 years of cycles taught him about where multifamily is heading in 2026. But the back half of this conversation is where it really opens up — Brad gets honest about being functionally depressed in 2023, the divorce, the first investor loss in 24 years, food addiction, and what success actually looked like once the achievement chase stopped working.We get into:- The boss who said he'd never amount to anything (and the irony of how that ended)- The four types of millionaires, and why "paying $1M in tax" was Brad's original goal- How Brad went from owing a million in taxes to paying zero — legally- Why the multifamily cycle of 2023–2025 was the worst Brad's seen in 24 years- The 2026 outlook: "it's time to have your foot on the gas"- Buying the jet, naming it Sumrock Air, and what it actually felt like- Jesse Itzler, the donut hack at conferences, and how he sold a jet company to Warren Buffett with no jets- The 7-day keto fast, the food pyramid lie, and what 36 pounds of weight loss in 92 days actually took- What Brad felt when his mom died, the divorce, and the year he describes as "dead inside"What's something you were told you couldn't do, and then did anyway? Drop it in the comments.CHAPTERS00:00 — Intro01:00 — From Pittsburgh engineer to apartment investor04:30 — The boss who said he'd never amount to anything08:00 — Getting fired six months after the biggest deal12:00 — Why he's spent $2M on mentors over 25 years18:00 — The hockey-stick years (2018–2022)25:00 — The four types of millionaires30:00 — How he stopped paying federal tax (legally)38:00 — Buying Sumrock Air, the $7M private jet45:00 — Surviving the worst multifamily cycle in 24 years55:00 — The 7-day keto fast and the food pyramid flip68:00 — Jesse Itzler, the donut hack, and selling no-jets to Warren Buffett80:00 — What "dead inside" actually felt like90:00 — Mom dying, divorce, and learning to feel pain98:00 — Where multifamily is heading in 2026GUESTBrad Sumrock - Sumrock Apartment MentorInstagram: bradsumrokhttps://bradsumrok.com 🎧 New episodes bi-weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast#multifamilyrealestate #realestateinvesting #entrepreneurship #apartmentinvesting #podcast #justsayanpodcast #realestatepodcast

  7. May 15

    He Sold Pokemon Cards to China, Ran 35 Miles for Fun, and Built a Multifamily Empire

    Dustin Miles ran a candy business out of his backpack at eight years old. By college, he was shipping Pokemon cards to buyers in China and New Zealand to pay for ramen. By his thirties, he was an engineer at Lockheed Martin. Now he owns multifamily real estate across Texas and the Midwest, runs Momentum Multifamily with his partner Hayden, and recently ran 35 miles from Fort Worth to downtown Dallas just to see if he could. This one's about the long version of "success" - the unsexy parts, the misfires (he tried forex, MLM, and lost money to a coach who ghosted him), and the mindset that takes a kid hustling Laffy Taffy to a $1.6M real estate raise. None of it was a straight line. We get into: - The Pokemon-to-China side hustle that funded a ramen-noodle college life - Watching a friend's family own a skyscraper and deciding "why not me" - The first $1.6M raise and how he stacked the cards in his favor — Where multifamily actually is right now — concessions, fraud, leasing season - The "build the airplane as you're falling out of the sky" Covid raise - What he tells his 14-year-old son Henry about staying coachable What's the longest you've ever run, walked, or pushed yourself for no good reason? Drop it in the comments. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 00:35 - The Candy Man at 8, Pokemon dealer at 20 04:10 - Engineering, Lockheed Martin, and picking the hardest path 06:30 - Running 35 miles from Fort Worth to Dallas 13:20 - The skyscraper that changed everything 17:00 — Why the four-minute mile mindset matters 19:00 - Taking action before you're ready 25:20 - Hiring coaches, getting ghosted, and what actually works 29:00 - The state of multifamily right now 32:30 - The wildest concession he's ever seen 34:30 - What's kept him in the game through this cycle 40:30 - Covid, preferred equity, and pivoting under pressure 42:30 - Advice for his son Henry GUEST Dustin Miles - Momentum Multifamily 🎧 New episodes on the 1st and 15th. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. 📲 More on Instagram: @justsayanpodcast

  8. May 2

    Wire Fraud at Closing, a Seller Who Died Before Signing, and the Truth About the Housing Market

    Veronica Warwick started her real estate career right as her husband was deployed overseas - no support system, a brand new license, and two kids still in school. She figured it out.In this episode, Veronica and her partner Jeanette Feliciano pull back the curtain on what real estate actually looks like - the stuff nobody tells you. A seller who passed away an hour before his signing. A young couple who wire-transferred their closing funds to a scammer. And a market that's making it harder every year for first-time buyers to get in.They also get into how they're using AI to analyze client calls in real time, why the highest offer almost never wins, and what they tell every new agent who's about to quit.If you're thinking about buying, selling, or getting into real estate yourself - this one's worth your time.Veronica's IG: https://www.instagram.com/warwickrealtygroup/Veronica's Website: https://www.warwickrealtygroup.com

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The intersection of business, grit, and high performance. Inside the minds of bold innovators. Hosted by the @_justsayan leadership team. Real talk. Real action. No fluff. New episodes dropping soon!

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  • Creator
    The JustSayan Podcast
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The JustSayan Podcast
  • Show Website
    The JustSayan Podcast