Episode 174 - Owning 176 Units and Counting at 24 with Donato Callahan

In this episode, we’re thrilled to hear Donato Callahan's inspiring story of how he went from a failed wholesaling business in college to growing a portfolio of 176 units and managing nearly $500M in assets by the young age of 24! With his passion for data-driven decision-making, he also co-founded BrightInvestor, a  real estate data visualization software that allows investors to vet potential deals based on the geograzphic data. 

Transitioning as a Geospatial Analyst in the Department of Defense to becoming the CEO of BrightInvestor and the Acquisition Coordinator for CREE Capital, Donato’s career journey is certainly one for the books. Join us as he shares his philosophies on taking risks, learning and failing fast, and pursuing difficult specialties that position you to make the most money. During the episode, our guest shares invaluable insights about shifting out of a pension-dependent mindset and embracing the risks that come with pursuing financial independence.  
 
We also talk about what inspired Donato to develop a market research software for deal vetting. With his firsthand experience in investing out-of-state, Donato and his colleagues realized that you can vet deals in a faster and more efficient manner by visualizing much-needed geographic data, such as population information, job growth, crime rates, and more. Currently, this $4M real estate software platform is rapidly growing with over a 1000 users and a mission to empower beginner investors to pursue their real estate aspirations. 

Ultimately, Donato's story serves as a inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and real estate investors alike. Tune in to be inspired by Donato’s advice on the importance of reaching out to mentors, collaborating with others, and overcoming the mental barriers that tend to paralyze others into inaction.

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
[6:28] Introduction to Financial Independence
[9:35] Shifting Your Mindset About Working Until Retirement
[14:25] Diving Into the Numbers Behind Donato’s First Deal
[18:00] How to Invest Out-Of-State for the First Time
[22:40] On Syndications and Mutli-Million Dollar Purchases
[25:25] Standing out in the Real Estate Industry
[28:58] How Do You Get Paid for Commercial Multi-Family
[32:15] The Power of Gaining Real Estate Mentorship
[37:25] Bright Investor’s Inspiring Origin Story
[46:50] How to Realistically Raise Capital 
[52:25] Donato’s Best Piece of Advice

HOSTS   
Craig Curelop   
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze   

Ali Garced
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ali_the_agent/ 
📱Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aligarced 
💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandragarced/ 
🖥 Website: https://www.garcedrealty.com/ 

GUEST
Donato Callahan
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/donato_callahan/ 
💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donato-callahan/ 
💻 Website:https://www.donatocallahan.com/ 
💻 Bright Investor: https://brightinvestor.com/