194: How a 25-Year-Old Built a $25M Hospitality Empire from Nothing w/ Sava Lelcaj - 8FE

She didn’t have a plan. No investors. Not even a laptop.

At 25, Sava Lelcaj had 60 days to figure out her next move after losing the lease on her 10-table café. Most people would’ve played it safe. She didn’t. Instead, she convinced investors, who’d just lost money on the space, to hand her the keys to a 300-seat restaurant. And somehow, it worked.

Today, Sava runs a $25M hospitality group with multiple restaurants, guest houses, and a farm. In this episode, she talks us through what it actually looked like to scale with no roadmap, why being underestimated helped her win, and what she’s learned about leadership, mostly the hard way. 

Sava didn’t have capital, experience, or a plan. She succeeded through sheer grit and determination alone. Wanna do the same? 

Tune in and learn from the best of the best!

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This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark.

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Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:51 The intersection of AI and hospitality 

• 07:17 Sava’s experience with being a female entrepreneur 

• 12:41 There are no bad decisions 

• 19:30 Sava’s sheer will and determination 

• 26:48 From a tiny cafe to a huge restaurant 

• 32:04 Holding on or letting go? 

• 37:43 Leasing vs. buying real estate 

• 41:02 Becoming a good leader

• 47:38 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

• 53:47 Outro

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Additional Resources:

🔹 The Pulpo Group: https://www.thepulpogroup.com/ 

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Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work. 

If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU!

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