The Liquid Lunch Project

How does someone go from a school dropout on probation with a felony charge to an Amazon #1 best seller, speaker, and real estate trainer who has transacted over $59 million in real estate across seven states? It all started with a book.  And a lot of work. Our guest today is Victor Bell, CEO of Bell Capital. His San Diego-based company acquires and manages real estate properties, focusing on both near-term income generation and long-term value creation. He aims to provide everyday investors access to institutional-level real estate deals in great markets usually reserved for only larger investors. We cover a lot in today's episode on the topic of multifamily real estate investing, with a particular focus on Subject To deals (when an investor takes over the existing financing), how he did a million in real estate in his first year (thanks in part to a phone book), and what he's learned through three market cycles.    What You’ll Learn: Why he focuses on multifamily deals Trends he sees in the multifamily space right now Why he’s an advocate for doing business in his own backyard The one geographic area he’d choose to invest in right now (Spoiler alert: It’s not Texas!) Some pitfalls of a Subject To deal How he manages multiple properties at a time …and much more!   Favorite Quote: “I’m a big advocate of doing business in your own backyard. There are business deals everywhere.”   Connect with Victor:  www.bell-capital.com Get his FREE book here: www.bell-capital.com/book Learn more about his Real Estate Training Program here: www.bell-capital.com/realestatetraining       How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Do you know your IQ level? How about your emotional IQ level? How would you rank your empathy and assertiveness? And would you be surprised to learn that finding the magic balance between the two can do wonders for your business? If you don't think emotional intelligence plays a significant role in your operations, stop what you're doing for the next 30 minutes and listen in; today's guest might change your mind. Meet Merit Kahn, CEO of SELLect Sales Development. For over 20 years, she has worked with salespeople, entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders who are frustrated with their sales numbers, profit margins, time management, and overwhelmed employees. (Sound familiar?) She teaches us what emotional intelligence is and, more importantly – how to use it to make stronger connections and close more deals. She also does a surprise analysis on Matt, so if you're curious about his emotional IQ, don't miss the show's second half.   What You'll Learn: The important balance of empathy and assertiveness How to use emotional intelligence to improve relationships with employees and clients Which attributes are consistent among top performers Why "matching someone's energy" is an outdated concept …and much more!   Favorite Quote: "The first step to a closed deal is always an open mind."   Connect with Merit: Meritkahn.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/meritkahn/ https://www.youtube.com/meritkahn     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.  

The only thing The Liquid Lunch Project likes more than an actual "liquid lunch" is an industry disrupter in the small business space. And not only is today's guest doing just that, he's disrupting the dinosaur of industries: Real Estate. Mike Kaeding is the CEO of Norhart, a $200 million apartment developer building high-quality housing. He believes real estate housing and development can be a smoother, more efficient, and streamlined process that can reduce costs to benefit both the builder and the customer. And clearly, he's onto something. By pivoting to an assembly-line mentality and having teams move through the construction process in different batches, he's already improved his costs by 20% - 30%, and they're doubling in size every year. Right now, they can produce an apartment unit every 5 hours. Projects that would typically take 15 months become nine months. And he believes there's still room for improvement in those numbers.   If this sounds like something you'd want to be a part of, you're in luck: They will also be launching an investment platform that will allow individuals to invest in these projects and make them accessible to people of all income levels. Mike also shares his story of inheriting this small family business and growing it into the multibillion-dollar company it is today. He explains: "I didn't really know what I was doing, but looking back, I think there was some magic in that. We didn't know the way things were supposed to be done. We could start questioning everything. I think that started us on this journey of trying to change this industry. "   What You'll Learn: Why he's willing to fly his team in from all over every week The target demographics for their units How they attract renters Why creating community is at the heart of what they do Where they're building, and their plans for the future …and much more!   Favorite Quote: I didn't really know what I was doing, but looking back, I think there was some magic in that. We could start questioning everything.   Connect with Mike: https://www.instagram.com/norhartlife/ https://www.facebook.com/norhart https://www.linkedin.com/company/norhart/  Visit his website, wwww.Norhart.com (if you're interested in his investment program, make sure you go here to sign up for alerts.) Also, be on the lookout for his podcast, "Becoming a Unicorn," which will launch soon.   How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.    

How do you stay top of mind with your clients? It’s an age-old question and one that every business owner struggles with within a competitive market. If everybody is doing a different version of the same thing, how do you stand out?  Today’s guest is here to solve that problem. Steve Buzogany, Founder and CEO of The Appreciation Advocate, is helping small business owners increase their income through the practice of gift-giving and appreciation to generate referrals.  In this episode, he explains how his proven method helps owners build better relationships with their clients, helps them stand out from the crowd, gets their message heard by more people in less time, and even have some fun with it! They take on all the responsibility of helping you create and execute the perfect gift that will keep your name at the top of your customer’s minds.    What You’ll Learn: How his process can transform your prospecting calls Why he never gives gifts in December What’s the difference between a promo and a gift The rule of thumb for how much you should spend The rule of thumb for how often you should send gifts The six criteria that make a good gift The most impactful gift he’s ever received, and the most memorable one he’s given …and more!   Favorite Quote: “It doesn’t just improve what we do as professionals, it improves how your customers experience you. It’s just good for everybody.”   Connect with Steve: https://appreciationadvocate.com/home-page-2-0 https://www.facebook.com/stephenbuzogany https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-buzogany/ How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.  

Passive income. Generational wealth. Increased cash flow. Accelerated retirement. Sounds pretty good, right? We all want to achieve each of those things, but for the majority of individuals and small business owners, our assets are tied up in more “traditional” or qualified plans, like a 401k or IRA. Not only are we facing the stock market’s volatility, but we are also placing our trust in financial planners who only benefit if we continue to keep our money under their control. There is a better way - and today’s guest is here to explain why. Patrick Grimes is the Founder and CEO of Invest On Main Street, a private equity firm that makes it easy to passively invest in multifamily real estate and energy.  The typical American has approximately 8% of their wealth in alternative assets and the rest in a traditional investment portfolio. High-income earners see that number increase to 25%, and the ultra-wealthy have 50%. Patrick poses an important question: If you want to start stepping up the ladder, how do you do that if most of your wealth is trapped?  What most people don’t realize is that you can take these qualified plans and create a self-directed variant that allows you to carve out space to invest in tangible, more resilient assets. No more relying on company matches. No more being at the mercy of a volatile stock market. If you’re ready to take control and build wealth on your own terms, this episode is a must-listen.   What You’ll Learn: Why you don’t need to live in the place you’re buying real estate The available write-offs you can get for investing in energy Which State Patrick recommends investing in How to identify recession-resilient markets How he uses property managers, onsite management, and service providers to handle the day-to-day operations of his investments How his company can you help you invest and build wealth   Favorite Quote: “Treat your investments like a business.”   Connect with Patrick: www.InvestOnMainStreet.com www.facebook.com/InvestOnMainStreet https://www.instagram.com/invest_on_main_street/ www.linkedin.com/company/investonmainstreet     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.    

What does it take to succeed in business?  Why am I not further along in my career as I want to be? Entrepreneurship is too difficult, I’m ready to throw in the towel.   If any of these questions or thoughts have crossed your mind, today’s episode will be especially helpful. Matt’s flying solo, and he’s sitting down with friend and fellow Apex member Jacob Stahler. From starting and dropping out of college 3x, Jacob is a prime example of what can be achieved through hard work, tenacity, determination, and a refusal to take no for an answer. If he doesn’t know how to do something - he figures it out. And that attitude is what makes him a dynamo in the business world.  Less an interview and more a conversation between two friends who have walked down similar paths, Matt and Jacob share some insights into their own journeys. They talk marriage, being wrong, the struggles that high-performing individuals sometimes face, having thick skin, maintaining a mindset of success, finding balance, and what gives them the confidence to bet on themselves.  This is only part one: Jacob will be back on the show again, and we’ll get a bit more technical; but for now, enjoy this no-filtered, no-B.S. reflection on entrepreneurship, business ownership, and being the best version of yourself.  Favorite Quote: “If I’m not wrong one time a day, I didn’t learn anything.” Connect with Jacob: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacobstahler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobstahler/   - - - - - - - - - - - - -  How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com.   Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Small business owners are faced with a myriad of decisions every day - and one of the most challenging decisions is how to price products and services. Is this price too low? Is this price too high? How do we know we’re getting what we’re worth?   Today’s guest is going to pull back the curtain on the mystery that is price-setting. Per Sjofors, aka The Price Whisperer, spent years running companies and doing experiments on pricing. Some were successful. Some were complete duds. And everything he read in business school didn’t shed any light on why some worked and some didn't.    So he took it upon himself to figure it out, and now his company is helping clients 5x - 10x their revenue in just a few years.   In this episode, he explains why pricing should be the centerpiece of your business strategy, how you can leverage it to attract the type of customers you want, and how you can earn the right to charge higher prices. He also gives some real-life examples of how some big names use “fighting brands” to reach new markets and how fear plays a significant role in the purchase-making process.   We say this often, but this is definitely an episode you’ll want to listen to with pen and paper at the ready!   What You’ll Learn: The power of branding when it comes to prices The concept of Pricing Power Why you shouldn’t price based on competition A practical strategy you can use to find the best average price for your product or service Why the price isn’t always the deciding factor for some buyers (or, at least, the ones you WANT to attract) Price anchoring and how it can have a considerable impact on your business …and much more!   Favorite Quote: “Price selects your customers.” -Per Sjofors Connect with Per: His book, The Price Whisperer: A Holistic Approach to Pricing Power is available on Amazon and other major retailers.  You can also connect with him on his website, www.sjofors.com, or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com.   Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.  

Do you have an idea for a book that’s just itching to get put onto paper, but the whole process has you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start? Then this is the podcast episode you’ve been waiting for.    Our guest today is two-time author, business strategist, and public speaker Malene Bendsten, aka “The Book Coach.” She’s giving us a peek behind the proverbial publishing curtain and how self-publishing capabilities create space for otherwise overlooked niches and authors. With the top four publishing houses accounting for nearly 80% of book sales, it can be a tough market to break into. The self-publishing route can be a huge advantage for business owners seeking to elevate their credibility by being published experts on specific subject matters - without forking over a lot of money or rights to a third-party company.    She also gives some tips on the writing process, market research, and the importance of a detailed outline, as well as a look at her latest book, NextGen Author. It’s the perfect 30-minute crash course to get you started.   What You’ll Learn: Her process for writing her latest book and how she incorporated AI How a ghostwriter can aid in your book writing process How she is marketing her book and the number one strategy she recommends The evolution of Web1 to Web3 and what might mean for authors in the future Why she recommends self-publishing versus a traditional publishing house …and much more!   Favorite Quote: It’s not really selling books that are most important. It’s about having the expertise to write the book that raises your level of credibility.  -Malene Bendtsen   Connect with Malene: Website: www.goosebump.pub LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bendtsen/     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com.   Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

To say that Amazon has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success would be the understatement of the century. But it was no happy accident or cosmic fluke that took Jeff Bezos from boxing books in his garage to running a billion-dollar operation. It was hard work, a lot of failures, and a very specific set of principles.    And today’s guest is giving us a look at what those principles are.   Meet John Rossman; keynote speaker, small business advisor, and former Amazon executive who played a key role in launching and scaling the Amazon marketplace business. In his newest book, The Amazon Way, he takes a look at the 14 leadership principles that Amazon still uses to this day to show how other companies can apply them to achieve great results. Whether you’re a solopreneur or lead a team, these principles can be used in a variety of scenarios to start or scale your operations.    What You’ll Learn: Why you should be careful of falling in love with your own ideas - and the importance of inviting others who don’t agree with you to look at your concept; that’s how you learn. How innovation will help you navigate this era of “do more with less.” How he ended up at Amazon, and what he took away from his time there. His thoughts on Web3. Why winning the market isn’t just about being better; it’s about having a value proposition that is completely differentiated from everyone else. How principles with execution creates culture - and that culture can help you scale. How a single sentence made all the difference when it came time to execute the third-party seller platform with Amazon …and much more! Favorite Quote:   “One big winner pays for a thousand concepts that don’t work.” -John Rossman   Connect with John: His books (The Amazon Way and Think Like Amazon), can be found in paperback, Kindle, and audio.  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rossman/ Website: https://the-amazon-way.com/ Substack: The Digital Leader Newsletter     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

A good entrepreneur is like a serial murderer; they just can’t stop. And our guest today is proving that point.   Meet Jonathan Zacks, Founder of Make It All Work and Co-Founder of GoReminders. He’s on the show to discuss how his two startups are helping small business owners find solutions to two very common problems: Tech Support and No Call-No Shows.    For tech support, Make It All Work is a remote service that connects self-proclaimed “non-techy” people with the right technology solutions that are easy to use and understand. Entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t always have the luxury of a go-to person on their team to help troubleshoot IT issues or make system upgrades. Make It All Work can step in to fill that gap and be a full-service solution.    And for companies struggling with wasted time and lost revenue due to No Call-No Shows, GoReminders is a fully automated solution that is helping thousands of businesses decrease the number of missed appointments…and subsequently increase their revenue. Jonathan describes the software as sort of a crystal ball - it can help determine early on who is likely to be a no-show - and has strategies in place to send well-timed text reminders and confirmation requests to reduce the overall NCNS rates.   There’s a reason Luigi described him as “the best friend of small business.” Be sure to tune into this episode to learn how Jonathan can help you and your team!    What You’ll Learn: How GoReminders and Make It All Work can help your small business His book recommendations for startups How the dot com bust changed all his plans of working for tech companies and led him to striking out on his own How he markets and sells his services - without a sales team or traditional sales funnel Why text reminders are more powerful (and efficient) than phone calls or emails His favorite software platforms …and much more!   Favorite Quote:  "Finding a problem to solve at one of those critical points for a business is how I've had success in my business." -Jonathan Zacks Connect with Jonathan: www.GoReminders.com www.MakeItAllWork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-zacks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnoz/     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you’re looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com.   Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review.