How to Raise Millions in Real Estate Without Sounding Salesy
In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, Derek sits down with real estate veteran Adam Gower, who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars throughout a career spanning development, distressed assets, institutional portfolios, and digital capital formation.
Adam shares lessons from decades in real estate — from the savings and loan crisis, to distressed debt sales after 2008, to building digital marketing systems that help sponsors raise capital online.
The conversation dives deep into the psychology of raising money, investor trust, authenticity, and why today’s noisy online environment makes genuine relationships more important than ever.
From Mortgage Broker to Fund Manager: Real Estate Lessons That Matter
In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, Derek sits down with investor and lender Will Harvey to discuss hard money lending, private funds, underwriting risk, and the importance of staying humble in changing market cycles.
Will shares his journey from mortgage lending into flipping houses, apartment syndications, and eventually launching his own lending fund. Together, Derek and Will break down the realities of leverage, underwriting, investor protection, and why many people underestimate risk during strong markets.
This episode is packed with practical insight for anyone interested in private lending, raising capital, or building long-term wealth through real estate.
The #1 Mistake Syndicators Make When Raising Capital
Nic McGrue shares his journey into securities and real estate law, explaining how his firm helps investors lawfully raise capital through syndications and funds. The conversation exposes how often investors unknowingly violate securities laws, especially through improper joint ventures, social media solicitation, and unstructured capital raises.
Derek and Nic walk through syndications vs. funds, equity vs. debt structures, Reg D exemptions (506(b) and 506(c)), accreditation rules, and the real risks of second-position capital stacks. Nic also explains why PPMs protect both investors and operators, what legal documents are non-negotiable, typical costs and timelines, and what market cycles mean for future capital raising.
This episode is a must-listen for any investor who plans to raise money now or in the future.
How to Turn a W-2 Into 100 Doors: From Nursing to Multifamily & Assisted Living
Savannah Arroyo shares how she parlayed a nursing career into a scalable real-estate portfolio by tapping home equity, moving quickly from single-family to multifamily, and raising capital through relationship-driven 506(b) syndications. She walks through underwriting in uncertain markets, investor communications, deal structures (including no-pref splits), and why she’s expanding into assisted living where her healthcare operations background is a unique advantage.
The Storage Strategy Every Investor Should Know
Derek and guest Jacob Vanderslice dive deep into the mindset and mechanics behind building a durable real-estate business — specifically self-storage. Jacob shares how he went from fighting fires to building a multi-state storage empire by surviving market cycles, raising capital responsibly, and developing systems that scale.
They discuss the current market environment, rising rates, cracks in the economy, deal flow challenges, overpriced assets, and investor fear. Jacob explains why transparency and delivering bad news quickly is critical when managing investor capital, and why operational excellence matters more now than ever.
The conversation also covers sourcing off-market deals, building long-term investor trust, managing a large operations team, navigating overhead, and avoiding the pitfalls that wipe out rookies. The episode ends with timeless advice: take action, take smart risks, and don’t wait for the perfect deal.
Syndications vs. Funds (and SEC Traps): Kevin Kim’s Playbook for Raising Capital the Right Way
Derek sits down with securities attorney Kevin Kim (Fortra Law) to demystify raising capital for real-estate deals—covering when to use a syndication vs. a fund, realistic startup costs, 506(b) vs. 506(c) advertising rules, what actually happens when regulators come knocking, and how note offerings compare to LP/GP fund structures. They also hit modern twists like series LLC funds, why most beginners should avoid tokenization, and a pragmatic outlook for late-2025 across SFR, small multifamily, and shaky commercial sectors. If you raise money (or plan to), this is your compliance-and-strategy cheat sheet straight from a former regulator.
Can You Build Wealth With Just One Step?
In this powerful episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, host Derek Dombeck sits down with Mike Zlotnik, also known as “Big Mike,” to unpack the realities of fund management, real estate market cycles, and investment strategy. From dissecting debt vs. equity funds to analyzing when and why to invest in down markets, this episode delivers both technical insights and philosophical wisdom for investors and fund managers alike.
Unlocking Capital & Connections: The Power of Investor Attraction with Yakov Smart
In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, we sit down with Yakov Smart, a leading expert in investor attraction, to uncover the strategies that help real estate investors and entrepreneurs secure capital, build meaningful connections, and grow their businesses. Yakov shares his proven methods for leveraging LinkedIn and other platforms to attract high-net-worth investors without cold calls or outdated tactics.