Matthew Ricciardella is Founder and CEO of Crystal View Capital, a private equity real estate firm specializing in value-add manufactured housing communities and self-storage across the U.S. With over 20 years of experience and more than $1 billion in transaction volume, Matt has built a vertically integrated platform overseeing $650M+ in assets across multiple funds. He shares what it really takes to scale in commercial real estate while staying grounded in disciplined underwriting, conservative leverage, and long-term thinking.

Matt breaks down his approach to finding underperforming, often overlooked “mom-and-pop” assets and transforming them through operational improvements, rent optimization, and professional management. In a world where complex financial engineering often takes center stage, he keeps it simple: buy right, operate well, and treat investors fairly. If you want a real look at how institutional-quality returns are built through fundamentals—not hype—this conver...

What if everything you've been told about building wealth is only part of the story? Dr. Dipesh Sitaram was a practicing dental surgeon who discovered that even a high-income career wasn't enough to create true financial freedom. Instead of relying solely on traditional investments like stocks and retirement accounts, he began building a multi-million-dollar portfolio through private real estate and alternative investments—the same types of opportunities that many wealthy investors have used for decades. 

As the founder of Responsible Real Estate and Acuere Capital Partners, Dipesh helps physicians and everyday investors understand how to evaluate private deals, generate passive income, protect their assets, and build long-term wealth with confidence. We explore why diversification matters, how private investments differ from the public markets, the mindset required to think like an investor instead of an employee, and practical strategies for creating financial freedom that exte...

What if you stopped waiting until retirement to start living? Chris Larsen, founder of Next-Level Income, made it his mission to achieve financial freedom after losing his father at a young age and his best friend at just 18. While building a successful career in medical device sales, Chris quietly built a real estate portfolio, starting with his first rental property at age 21 with less than $3,000 down. Over time, his passive income grew to the point where his paycheck became optional.

Today, Chris helps investors build wealth through commercial real estate investments across multifamily, self-storage, car washes, and senior housing, with more than $2 billion in acquisitions since 2016. In this episode, he shares the principles behind his new book, How to Be Financially Free by Forty, and the strategies he used to create financial freedom, lasting wealth, and a life lived on his own terms. 

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how to build lasting wealth throug...

What would it take for you to walk away from a guaranteed pension… and bet on yourself instead? Former United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Tim Kelly made one of the boldest decisions of his life: leaving the military four years before retirement eligibility to pursue true financial freedom through real estate, mindset, and high-performance living.

After spending 15 years leading under pressure in the Navy, he realized he wanted more than just security—he wanted freedom of time, freedom of choice, and the ability to build a life fully on his own terms. That journey led him deep into real estate investing, personal growth, and wealth-building strategies that ultimately helped him become involved in nearly 2,000 commercial real estate units.

Today, he serves on the Board of Directors for Active Duty Passive Income, is a certified High Performance Coach, and co-authored the bestselling book “Military House Hacking,” helping service members, veterans, and entrepreneurs create fina...

What does it really take to build an 8-figure business… and survive the crashes along the way? Tom Dunkel is a battle-tested entrepreneur who’s spent nearly 30 years in the trenches of business. He’s built two 8-figure companies, lost six, and raised over $50 million across multiple asset classes. Tom doesn’t just talk about success—he’s lived the full spectrum of wins, setbacks, and hard-earned comebacks. 

Now serving as Managing Director of Eagle Capital, Tom helps investors grow their wealth through operator-backed deals, but his true passion is still building businesses from the ground up. From assembling elite teams to turning chaos into clarity, he brings real-world strategy you won’t find in a textbook. 

We dive into the lessons failure teaches, what separates good operators from great ones, and how to keep pushing forward when things don’t go as planned. Plus, you’ll hear how Tom balances high-stakes business with life outside the office—as a competitive golfer, rock b...

Alex E. Edwards didn’t wait for permission to succeed — he rewrote the rules. After purchasing his first multifamily property in his early twenties, he went on to build a multimillion-dollar real estate company and become the founder of Thumbprint Realty, now the largest Black-owned brokerage in New England. But Alex’s impact goes far beyond transactions. As a TEDx speaker and author of Mortgage Before Marriage, he’s leading a bold conversation: what if financial freedom should come before marriage — not after? 

Through more than 1,200 closed transactions and millions in buyer assistance, Alex has helped turn access into opportunity, especially for single women and first-generation homebuyers who’ve been told to “wait their turn.” In this conversation, we unpack how money stress silently impacts relationships, why equity can strengthen families, and how ownership transforms communities. His mission? Help one million people build legacy before love — because when we change what ...

Ashley Romiti serves as Founder and President of GCA1031, who specializes in helping long-term real estate investors navigate the often-overlooked side of investing: the exit. With nearly 15 years in commercial real estate underwriting and advisory, Ashley saw too many retiring landlords and business owners sitting on highly appreciated assets, facing management fatigue and major tax exposure—without fully understanding their options. She breaks down how 1031 exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) actually work, how to evaluate risk and income beyond headline returns, and how to transition from active ownership to passive income while preserving capital and deferring taxes. If you’re a seasoned investor thinking about selling, scaling back, or building a smarter long-term wealth plan, this conversation brings clarity to one of the most important (and misunderstood) decisions you’ll make.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Understand how a 1031 exchange works an...

In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Shtofman, a seasoned corporate development leader and AI-driven real estate innovator who serves as the Global Head of Corporate Development at Cheere, a data management company building AI agents exclusively for the real estate industry. With over $3.4 trillion in real estate assets flowing through a patented knowledge-graph-powered platform, he shares how enterprise-level AI is transforming property data, decision-making, and investment strategy. Drawing on experience as a C-suite software executive, he unpacks how he’s leveraged AI to build a profitable “one-person” real estate business, the data he uses for free versus what he pays for, real-world AI use cases, and the hard-earned lessons and pitfalls from deploying AI agents over the past 18 months. An accomplished investor, advisor, and global speaker, he offers candid insights on the non-linear path to financial freedom, leadership at scale, and the future of AI in real estate.

In...

Matthias Gruenwald is a seasoned real estate investor and operator with nearly two decades of experience transforming distressed properties into high-performing assets. Originally from Germany and now based in Greenville, SC, Matthias is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WCG Investments, where he oversees $20M in assets across 16 manufactured housing communities. 

With expertise in value-add strategies, mobile home parks, and multifamily and RV park redevelopment, Matthias has a proven track record in identifying undervalued properties and turning them into profitable investments. His hands-on approach and sharp operational mindset make him a standout in the affordable housing space, driving strong returns while creating thriving communities for residents and investors alike.

In this episode, you will be able to learn:

• Discover why choosing any real estate lane matters more than finding the “perfect” one—and how simply deciding accelerates your success.
  
• Learn how mo...

Dr. Tanh, PharmD, is a pharmacist turned real estate investor, host of the Wonton Wealth Podcast, and founder of Proton Capital. After earning his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati and pursuing a career in cardiology pharmacy, Tanh discovered his true passion—investing and building long-term wealth through real estate. What started with a single duplex in 2018 quickly grew into a thriving portfolio and a deep focus on commercial real estate. As the author of Value Over Volume: The Foundation of Commercial Real Estate Investing, Tanh now empowers others to achieve financial freedom, build meaningful relationships, and reclaim their most valuable asset—time. His journey proves that with education, discipline, and purpose, anyone can create lasting wealth beyond the 9-to-5 grind.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how resourcefulness can replace capital when starting your investment journey.
• Learn how disciplined saving and partnerships fuel
...