The Psychology of Wealth: Avoiding the Mistakes That Destroy Fortunes

In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, Derek sits down with wealth advisor Jonathan Blau, a seasoned financial planner with decades of experience helping affluent families grow and preserve wealth.
Rather than focusing on picking investments, Jonathan explains why behavior — not intelligence — is the biggest driver of financial success or failure. The conversation dives into behavioral finance, investor psychology, inflation risk, volatility myths, generational wealth, and why many investors sabotage themselves without realizing it.
Jonathan challenges traditional industry thinking, offering a fresh perspective on risk, forecasting, emotional decision-making, and long-term investing.
This episode is less about tactics — and more about mastering the mindset required to build lasting wealth.
Think Like an Investor: Market Cycles, Smart Deals & Building Real Wealth

What separates investors who survive from those who thrive? It’s not just deals it’s how they think.
In this powerful conversation, Derek Dombeck sits down with veteran investor and former Wall Street trader Joel Kraut to unpack decades of experience navigating market crashes, rebuilding wealth, and mastering the psychology of investing.
Joel shares lessons from losing millions during the housing collapse, why relationship capital matters more than ever, and how today’s investors can position themselves to win in shifting markets. From creative deal structuring to partnership strategy and leveraging technology, this episode delivers real-world wisdom that applies whether you’re new to investing or scaling a serious portfolio.
If you want to build a life you love not just survive this episode is a must-watch.
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.
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.
From Tactical to Transformational: Real Estate, Conferences & Conversations
In this powerhouse episode, real estate mogul and entrepreneur Ashley Wilson joins Derek Dombeck for a candid, unscripted conversation that dives deep into multifamily real estate, the true value of in-person networking, and her mission to bring transparency and innovation to the conference world. Ashley unpacks her journey from clinical research to managing over $160M in real estate assets, co-founding Apartment Addicts, and launching the platform Conference Connect. The discussion also tackles the current multifamily market, negotiation dynamics, personal accountability, and the future of live events. Whether you’re a new investor, a seasoned operator, or someone passionate about personal growth—this episode hits on all cylinders.