Mechanics of Money

Sam Silverman | Silverman Capital
  • 5.0 (35)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Stop saving. Start allocating. Mechanics of Money is the technical manual for high-net-worth individuals moving from "High Earner" to "Sophisticated Allocator." Hosted by Sam Silverman (Silverman Capital), this show strips away the "get rich quick" hype to focus on the operational and financial mechanics of wealth preservation. We sit down with founders, fund managers, and tax strategists managing billions in assets to decode exactly how the ultra-wealthy structure their capital. We cover: • Private Markets: Deep dives into Multifamily Syndications, Private Credit, and PE.• Tax Strategy: Advanced frameworks like 1031 Exchanges, Bonus Depreciation, and Opportunity Zones.• Risk Management: How to vet operators and protect your downside. Whether you are looking to place your first $50k into a syndication or managing an 8-figure family office, we provide the blueprint. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter: https://www.mechanicsofmoney.coInvest with Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

  1. 4d ago

    How Pilots & Doctors Legally Write Off Their W-2 Income | Mechanics of Money

    Most high earners are told the same thing: your W-2 salary can't be sheltered. Tait Duryea built a firm proving otherwise. In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman sits down with Tait Duryea: third-generation airline pilot and founder of Turbine Capital, now the largest airline pilot investor network in the world. They unpack why oil & gas is one of the few asset classes that lets W-2 earners offset active income, why the "industrial vacancy crisis" is mostly a measurement error, and why Tait believes the next decade belongs to owners of hard assets, not holders of dollars. In this conversation: Why a narrow niche beats a broad audience when you're raising your first capitalThe real story behind industrial vacancy, and where the sub-2% pockets actually areSenior housing and the demographic "silver tsunami" almost nobody is building forHow non-operated working interests create year-one tax write-offsThe macro case for hard assets in an era of money printingWhy Tait is rotating toward private debt as net worth grows Topics covered: Tait's background as a third-generation pilot • building a niche investor network • the LP-to-GP path in real estate • industrial real estate and the vacancy myth • senior housing and demographic tailwinds • operating vs. partnering on deals • the case for oil & gas • tax treatment of working interests • building an investment team in-house • money supply and the dollar • interest rates and real estate values • the future of Turbine Capital • private debt and cash flow • travel and life off the clock Guest: Tait Duryea, Turbine Capital https://www.linkedin.com/in/taitduryea/ More from Silverman Capital Newsletter & podcast → https://www.mechanicsofmoney.co Website → https://silvermancapital.com If you're an accredited investor or family office, subscribe for new conversations every week. #MechanicsOfMoney #PrivateMarkets #AlternativeInvestments #OilAndGas #TaxStrategy #AccreditedInvestor

    37 min

  2. May 26

    From $3,000 to $100M/yr: The Cove Blueprint | Mechanics of Money

    Alec Todd is the co-founder and CFO of Cove, the lifestyle apparel brand you've probably already seen all over your Instagram feed. He and his twin brother Sean built Cove from a $3,000 investment into a $100M/yr revenue machine, fully bootstrapped with zero outside money. In this episode, Alec breaks down exactly how they did it: the mindset, the financial discipline, and the unconventional moves that got them there. What we cover: How Cove went from $3K and a heat press to $100M/yr in revenueWhy they turned down investors for 7 years, and why that's changing nowThe twin-run financial structure behind Cove's growthWhy hunting for the exit is the wrong play, and what to do insteadHow Alec thinks about building and protecting wealth as a founder"Memory dividends" and the Die with Zero philosophyFollow Alec on Instagram: @alec_todd Learn more about Cove: coveusa.co

    45 min

  3. May 21

    Why You Can Take More Risk at 22 Than at 50 | Mechanics of Money

    Risk tolerance isn't about bravery. It’s a mathematical formula based on your life stage, your sunk costs, and your monthly overhead. In this solo session of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman explains why a 22-year-old often has a much higher capacity for risk than a 50-year-old professional making $600,000 a year. If you’ve ever felt like you can’t afford to quit your high-paying job to build the business you actually want, or if you're wondering how to adjust your portfolio as you age, this episode is a reality check on the "Golden Handcuffs." What we discuss in this session: The Zero-Obligation Advantage: Why your early 20s is the absolute best time to take massive, "selfish" risks before lifestyle creep sets in.The Sunk Cost Profile: How years of education, medical debt, and high lifestyle costs drastically lower the risk tolerance of established professionals.Calculating Your "Spread": If you earn a dollar and spend 50 cents, that 50-cent delta is your true risk capital.The Optionality Buffer: Why Sam intentionally kept his cost of living at $7,000/month while climbing the corporate ladder, and why replacing a $25,000/month burn rate is a nearly impossible hurdle.The Retirement Shift: Why your strategy must pivot toward liquidity and short-term yield as you near retirement.Silverman Capital is a private markets allocation platform built for cash flow and risk clarity. We solve the yield and diversification needs of family offices, accredited investors, and sophisticated W-2 earners. Connect with Silverman Capital: Website: https://silvermancapital.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SamSilvermanOfficial

    10 min
  4. Paving Acquisitions & Operations: A 30-Year Industry Leader's Full Breakdown | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    May 15

    Paving Acquisitions & Operations: A 30-Year Industry Leader's Full Breakdown | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    Wall Street suits think they can roll up blue-collar businesses with just a spreadsheet. But without true boots-on-the-ground experience, they usually end up buying a fleet of broken equipment and alienating the entire workforce. In this episode of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman brings on Jeff Livingston (CEO/Operating Partner of Nationwide Paving) and Chris Wirthlin (CFO of The Pave) to break down what actually happens when you pair a sharp financial team with a 30-year paving veteran. They break down the "Anti-PE" approach to acquiring service businesses, and pull back the curtain on how to find massive hidden margins that financial due diligence completely misses. They cover: Why traditional private equity fails at service-based roll-ups, and how to actually win the trust of legacy foundersThe psychology of acquisitions: How taking over back-office billing turned an "I'm retiring in 6 months" founder into an "I'll stay 'til I'm 80" partnerDue diligence secrets: Why the crew in the field will tell you the truth about a company long before the owner's financials ever doEquipment reality checks: How to spot "junk" machinery that standard financial appraisals completely missFinding hidden cash: How bringing subcontractor work and traffic control in-house instantly saved $10,000 a dayThe power of geographic density: Building economies of scale by sharing yards, equipment, and corporate infrastructure across regional footprintsDominating corporate contracts: How to win national accounts (like Wells Fargo and CVS) with 24-hour proposals and insane operational speedThe Buffalo CVS case study: The logistics of flying a single operator 1,000 miles to fix a pothole and still maintaining high marginsThis is a weekly series. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about The Pave: https://thepave.co/ Learn more about Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.com

    43 min
  5. Quitting Deloitte to Buy Paving Companies: The Reality of SMB M&A | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    May 6

    Quitting Deloitte to Buy Paving Companies: The Reality of SMB M&A | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    Climbing the Big 4 partner track is supposed to be the ultimate career goal. But for those on the inside, it often just feels like pledging a 10-year corporate fraternity. In this episode of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman brings on Alex Loebig, Head of Corporate Development for The Pave, to discuss why she walked away from a 12-year career at GE Capital and Deloitte to dive into the gritty world of blue-collar M&A. They break down the psychological shift required to leave the Fortune 100, and pull back the curtain on what Post-Day 1 integration actually looks like when you acquire a 30-year-old Mom-and-Pop business. They cover: Why the corporate partner track is changing, and why the delayed gratification may no longer be worth itThe "MBA Dilemma": Is business school actually worth the time and opportunity cost?How to slowly flex your "risk muscle" without blowing up your personal life or bank accountThe reality of Post-Day 1 integration: Why your shiny new CRM means nothing without employee buy-inHow to build immediate trust with blue-collar founders when you are the "corporate outsider"The low-hanging fruit of M&A: Moving acquired companies from personal piggy banks to GAAP complianceHow taking back-office stress off a founder allowed them to double their paving bidding capacitySpotting red flags during due diligence: Work In Progress (WIP) and the hidden impact of safety protocolsThe "Suits" Illusion: Why buying a business isn't just glamorous negotiations (and why ego kills partnerships)This is a weekly series. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about The Pave: https://thepave.co Learn more about Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

    51 min
  6. How to Structure a Business Acquisition (M&A Deal Mechanics) | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    Apr 28

    How to Structure a Business Acquisition (M&A Deal Mechanics) | Acquisitions & Asphalt

    Retail buyers fight to the death over the multiple. Institutional buyers obsess over the deal structure. In episode 3 of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman and Chris Wirthlin explain why the price you pay for a company matters far less than the terms you dictate.  They break down the five structural levers that actually determine if an M&A deal survives its first year, and share the exact capital stacks behind their latest multi-million dollar acquisitions. They cover: Why buying a business based only on the EBITDA multiple is a trapThe 5 critical levers of M&A: Debt, Earn-outs, Seller Carries, Investor Capital, and Working CapitalThe reality of SBA loans vs. Regional Banks, and why credit agreements matterWhy they avoid earn-outs in blue-collar businesses (and what they use instead)The "Working Capital Trap" that secretly raises your purchase price after closingHow a seller tried to pass off broken, painted equipment as operational assetsReal deal breakdowns: The exact math and leverage used to fund their Texas and new $12M acquisitionsQ&A: How to negotiate a 0% interest seller note, deal sizing, and off-market sourcingThis is a weekly series. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

    40 min
  7. Acquisitions & Asphalt: The Truth About SBA Loans and Buying a Business

    Apr 22

    Acquisitions & Asphalt: The Truth About SBA Loans and Buying a Business

    Most people don't realize an SBA loan for a small business acquisition requires a personal guarantee on everything you own: your house, your savings, your future income. In this episode, Sam Silverman and Chris Wirthlin break down the three real paths into business ownership: building from scratch, buying with an SBA loan, or passively investing through preferred equity.  We cover why EBITDA doesn't equal cash in your pocket, how two bad months of seasonality can wipe out a small business, and why a high-paying W-2 may be one of the most underrated wealth vehicles most people give up too early. Episode 2 of Acquisitions & Asphalt. New episodes Tuesdays. Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

    1h 3m
  8. Acquisitions & Asphalt: How to Build a Roll-Up Most Investors Overlook

    Apr 15

    Acquisitions & Asphalt: How to Build a Roll-Up Most Investors Overlook

    What happens when two operators from tech backgrounds decide to build a $100M+ platform in one of the most unglamorous industries in America? Turns out, a lot. In this first episode of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman and Chris Wirthlin break down exactly why they chose asphalt paving as their roll-up thesis, and why the boring is actually the point. They cover: Why paving is a $130–170B market with no dominant playerWhat a roll-up actually is (and why "buy at 3x, sell at 8x" is way oversimplified)How they source, structure, and close dealsWhat really happens after you acquire a company; the part no one talks about onlineWhy SBA loans scare them, and what they do insteadThe real deal structure behind their Texas acquisitionHow they're growing Cornerstone 5X in under a yearThis is a weekly series. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

    1h 7m
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5
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

Stop saving. Start allocating. Mechanics of Money is the technical manual for high-net-worth individuals moving from "High Earner" to "Sophisticated Allocator." Hosted by Sam Silverman (Silverman Capital), this show strips away the "get rich quick" hype to focus on the operational and financial mechanics of wealth preservation. We sit down with founders, fund managers, and tax strategists managing billions in assets to decode exactly how the ultra-wealthy structure their capital. We cover: • Private Markets: Deep dives into Multifamily Syndications, Private Credit, and PE.• Tax Strategy: Advanced frameworks like 1031 Exchanges, Bonus Depreciation, and Opportunity Zones.• Risk Management: How to vet operators and protect your downside. Whether you are looking to place your first $50k into a syndication or managing an 8-figure family office, we provide the blueprint. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter: https://www.mechanicsofmoney.coInvest with Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Silverman | Silverman Capital
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    106
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mechanics of Money
  • Show Website
    Mechanics of Money

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