

The Gentle Art of Crushing It!
The Gentle Art of Crushing It
Hello, and thank you for joining us today on "The Gentle Art of Crushing It!" podcast, where we focus on learning and sharing with our listeners all there is to know about how to create success in our lives. This show stands on the shoulders of Giants. Our mission is to empower and inspire our listeners to create the life of their dreams whilst having a blast in the process. Let's celebrate life together! Welcome to the show.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 21, 2022 • 36min
Mike Morawski - From Prison to Success
Have you ever found yourself staring down the face of adversity?
Mike Morawski has, and in this episode, he shares his incredibly inspiring, if not harrowing, journey with us.
Mike Morawski is a 30+ year real estate investment veteran who has controlled over $285M in real estate transactions.
Mike is an entrepreneur, author, real estate trainer, public speaker, and personal coach with a strong personal resilience and a deep desire to help others live extraordinary lives. He is also the host of Multifamily Unplugged - A weekly real estate podcast that streams every Saturday at 10 am CST.
Mike has coached hundreds of real estate investors to fulfill their dreams.
Mike shares how a few bad business decisions resulted in catastrophe, landing him in Federal prison for 10 years after his investors lost millions of dollars. He opens up about his experience and how he was able to pick himself up and charge forward to success even while facing challenges along the way.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
00:00 - Coming up
00:11 - Intro
00:50 - Welcome Mike to the show
01:56 - Mike talks about his background
07:08 - His experience in buying properties
09:00 - What keeps him going
10:00 - Difficulties he faced
11:08 - Why was he imprisoned
13:16 - How did he recover from that
18:17 - The definition of success changed over time
21:41 - Limitations in deals because of his background
25:26 - How he would start his journey over
28:52 - Book recommendations
30:47 - Technology or tool he would recommend
32:44 - Connect with Mike
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Insider Secrets Podcast: https://mycoreintentions.com/cat/podcast/
Book Recommendation: Exit Plan by Mike Morawski https://mycoreintentions.com/product/exit-plan/
Book Recommendation: Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller https://amzn.to/3UGZ82U
Email Mike for access to his deal underwriter
Our favorite deal analyzer - DealCheck (PROMO CODE: UNDOOR): https://dealcheck.io/?fp_ref=n8m28
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
https://mycoreintentions.com/
Insider Secrets Podcast: https://mycoreintentions.com/cat/podcast/
@mikemoraswki on all social platforms
Mike@MyCoreIntentions.com
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Nathan Murith is a husband, father, technologist, remote real estate investor, coach, and podcast host.
Get in touch with Nathan:
https://undoor.com/links
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Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Dec 19, 2022 • 43min
Sean Graham - House Hacking His Way To Self-Storage Syndications
Self-storage investing is one of the most profitable value-add opportunities in real estate, but few people know how to jump into the space.
In this episode, we speak with Sean Graham, the founder, owner, and operator of Maven Equities, a commercial real estate syndication company focused on self-storage opportunities.
He started his real estate journey by house-hacking small multi-family properties before launching Maven and going full-time with real estate investing.
Sean continues managing his own portfolio of residential rental properties while investing in and developing self-storage facilities. Sean is a licensed CPA with a background in public accounting and private equity.
Sean explains how he successfully transitioned into the Self-storage space and the lessons he learned along the way. He gives tips on what to look for in properties, how to manage them, how they do in recessionary periods, and ultimately the steps you need to take to make your self-storage business successful!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
00:00 - Coming up
00:13 - Intro
00:52 - Welcome Sean to the show
01:17 - Sean talks about his background
03:30 - He talks about his early career
06:14 - The transition from W2 to entrepreneur
08:57 - What his education process looked like
14:07 - How he maintained focus throughout his journey
19:08 - His experience with real estate
21:30 - The lessons learned
24:19 - How he transitioned over to self-storage
28:30 - What to look for in properties
35:54 - Book recommendations
36:35 - Podcast list
37:49 - Bucket list item
38:40 - Final thoughts
40:13 - Connect with Sean
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
The Largest Self-Storage Podcast in the World-https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcast
The Investors Guide to Growing Wealth in Self Storage: The Step-By-Step Playbook for Turning a Real Estate Asset Into a Thriving Self Storage Business Book- https://www.amazon.com/Investors-Guide-Growing-Wealth-Storage/dp/1735258806/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1671428872&refinements=p_27%3AAJ+Osborne&s=books&sr=1-1
They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer Book- amazon.com/They-Ask-You-Answer-Revolutionary/dp/1119312973'
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Website: https://www.mavenequities.com/
Website: www.mavenstorage.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-graham-cpa-5b3a5443/
SeanGraham email: sean@mavenequities.com
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Connect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @salesguyinvestor
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Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
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Dec 15, 2022 • 37min
Matt Picheny - From Broadway Theater to Passive Investor
Are you ready to start investing but don't know where to start?
Get VIP access to the top investment strategies, active and passive, from today's guest, Real Estate Investor, #1 Best-Selling Author, and Tony Award Winner Matt Picheny!
Matt went from earning less than $8,000 a year as an actor to generating half a billion dollars of real estate transactions.
In just six years, Matt invested in over 10,000 apartments nationwide and helped his own clients amass tens of millions of dollars in profit.
He’s also the author of the #1 best-selling book Backstage Guide to Real Estate: Produce Passive Income, Write Your Own Story, and Direct Your Dollars Towards Positive Change.
Matt and his wife have two Tony Awards® as co-producers of the Broadway shows Moulin Rouge and American Utopia. They have invested
in many other theatrical productions, including the iconic musicals Hamilton and Wicked.
Matt shares what it was like overcoming his fears and investing in his first passive and active deals, the challenges he faced, and how he was able to apply the things he learned to his business along the way.
He shares how important building a relationship, being persistent, and being educated are to successful investing as well as the three pillars of investing that he uses to generate cash flow and live his life to its fullest.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
00:00 - Coming up
00:13 - Intro
00:54 - Welcome Matt to the show
01:20 - Matt shares his background
03:24 - How he got into real estate
05:18 - His experience in active investing
07:15 - Working as a property manager
09:25 - Cost segregation study
12:40 - What you should know as an investor
15:17 - First passive investment
21:05 - Investing and purchase strategies
24:51 - Attitude of operators
27:16 - His journey back into the active space
31:02 - Podcast or book recommendations
32:10 - Resources that new investors might find helpful
34:17 - A recent bucket item list that he has checked off
35:30 - Final thoughts
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Get Matt's Book- The Backstage Guide to Real Estate- https://picheny.com/backstage-guide/
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail by Ray Dalio- https://www.amazon.com/Changing-World-Order-Nations-Succeed/dp/1982160276
Matt Linkedin- https://www.linkedin.com/in/picheny/
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Connect with Matt at www.picheny.com
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Connect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @salesguyinvestor
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Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Dec 14, 2022 • 49min
Karen Chenaille - From W2 to Glamping Resorts in the Smokeys!
Trade your W2 job for passive income, life-long financial security and a life of complete freedom! Sound like a dream? Today's guest proves it is possible.
In this episode, Marta talks with Karen Chenaille, an EXP ICON real estate agent and private investor specializing in short-term rentals.
She has been investing in and operating short-term rental accommodations since 2015. Her cash-flowing portfolio includes smoky mountain cabins, glamping resorts, and Emerald Coast condominiums. She is a general partner in the Accelerate Capital Partners short-term rental syndication. Prior to becoming a full-time real estate agent and investor, Karen served over 20 years in corporate America as a W-2 employee and five years in the US Army as a Chinese linguist.
Karen is a smoky mountain resident with a deep knowledge of the smoky mountain market. In addition to owning a multitude of cabins (www.stargazerstays.com), she also owns and operates a coffee shop (www.theheavenlyroast.com) and glamping resort (www.stargazerstaysglamping.com). As a smoky mountain local and business owner, she has exceptional insight into the dynamics and intricacies of the smoky mountain economy. She has developed an extensive network of local resources to assist out-of-state investors with all aspects of cabin setup.
Karen explains how she overcame her fears and transitioned out of her W2 job into real estate investing. She discusses her process for managing a glamping resort in the smoky's, how it is different from her short term rental properties, and what she has learned along the way.
Karen also shares her exciting upcoming projects and how you can get involved as well as advice on how you can transition out of your W2 job, turning your dreams into reality!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
00:00 - Coming up
00:12 - Intro
00:52 - Welcome Karen to the show
01:26 - She shares her background
03:00 - How she made her first real estate purchase
08:25 - What made her get into real estate
10:45 - The timeline from leaving her job to doing full time real estate
12:44 - She talks about how to get over fear
14:30 - How the glamping resort project transpired
20:00 - What the occupancy is like
21:41 - The competition
24:16 - The automations inside of her glamping business
28:50 - Changes she made from feedback
30:00 - Her experience of setting up the glamping resort
37:46 - She shares her new upcoming project
41:08 - Ideas for projects
43:22 - Closing advice
46:45 - How to get in touch with Karen
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Black Sheep realty: https://blacksheeprealty.co/meet-karen/
Stargazer stays: https://www.stargazerstays.com/
The Best BNB Host: https://thebestbnbhost.com/
Stargazer Glamping: https://stargazerstaysglamping.com/
The Heavenly Roast: https://theheavenlyroast.com/
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Karen's Email: Karen@blacksheeprealty.co
Karen's Phone: 865-770-0743
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Marta is a mom of two boys, healthcare strategist by day, and real estate investor by night.
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-cieslak-mph-317a5611/
Follow on IG: @polipinoinvestor
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Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
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Dec 12, 2022 • 49min
Tanya Rooney - Crushing Habits and Gratitude
Accountability is one of the greatest secrets to entrepreneurial success.
In this episode, Derek talks with Tanya Rooney, an active visionary in a few small businesses. She owns and operates 5 Short & Mid Term Rentals in St. Paul & Minneapolis, MN, where she focuses on hosting and the guest experience. She worked at a Global Corporate Real Estate company for 9 years doing owner’s rep project management which helps in every piece of the real estate business today. She still consults in the commercial real estate space.
Being part of a few masterminds since starting in Real Estate 12 years ago, she now brings other real estate and business owners together in a weekend retreat setting to talk shop and life as an entrepreneur.
For her latest project, she is on a mission to get 33,300 people to send 30 thank you cards to hit 1 Million Thank You’s sent by December 31, 2023.
Tanya discusses the importance of accountability, gratitude, and paying it forward as an entrepreneur. She also shares tips and tricks for creating better listings, finding amazing masterminds, and shifting your perspective for entrepreneurial success!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
00:00 - Coming up
00:13 - Intro
00:54 - Welcome Tanya Rooney to the show
01:11 - Tanya discusses her background
03:00 - How her journey into real estate started
03:37 - Her first house purchase
06.33 - Short term rentals in the Minneapolis area
07:24 - She explains how a mid-term rental is different from short-term rentals
13.48 - Her thoughts on short-term renting at this current time of the year
18:46 - Tips she would recommend for a better listing
25:51 - Networking in a mastermind
30:46 - How she keeps herself accountable for things
38:10 - Her journey into sending thank you cards
43:28 - What projects is she working on right now
45:52 - How she keeps track of sent thank you cards
46:48 - Final thoughts
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Pricelabs
Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
The Thank You Project
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Instagram:
tanyarooneymn
YYHminnesota
thankyouprojectchallenge
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Derek is a real estate investor with over 30 years in the hospitality industry. He and his wife own both long term and short term rentals and offer management and consulting services to other short term rental property owners.
Please reach out to connect with Derek at https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekfelch or email him at derek.felch@gmail.com.
Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Dec 8, 2022 • 35min
Dan Kryzankowski - 21st Century Diversification through Self Directed Solo 401k
Are you looking for investment opportunities but unsure where to start or how to navigate the tax laws surrounding them? You don't have to find the answers alone!
In this episode, Randy talks with Dan Kryzanowski, an active capital raiser, equity owner, and passive investor, generating double-digit yields and lower taxes via commercial real estate.
Dan has personally raised millions of dollars from accredited investors and family offices and empowered his partners to raise seven figures on multiple occasions. He has made over 50 passive "LP" investments in the past decade.
He previously led commercial real estate initiatives for GE Capital in Mexico and South America. Dan’s “superpowers” include Self-Storage, Self-Directed accounts (Solo 401(k), SDIRA), and Scranton, PA!
Dan shares unique investing tools that can greatly impact your money, especially when compounded over time. He breaks down many incredible investing opportunities, from self-directed IRAs to Solo 401{k}s, and how you can use these opportunities to create 21st-century diversification and live the life you deserve!
Join us for this unique episode and hear about investing opportunities you won't hear of anywhere else!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
0:00 Coming up
0:14 Intro
0:43 Randy welcomes Dan to the show
1:12 Dan’s background and how he got started in real estate
3:28 His work for GE and if it has influenced his investments
8:00 How did he find the more risky investments?
11:29 Different investing options
15:04 Unique investment tools
17:27 His light bulb moment
17:50 Piggybank investments
20:00 Self-directed IRA
23:11 Solo 401k
28:17 Where you can find these tools and people to help you navigate them
29:13 One specific investing strategy to get started
30:33 Books and podcast recommendations
32:31 Recent item crossed off bucket list
33:57 Final thoughts
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail -by Ray Dalio:
https://www.amazon.com/Changing-World-Order-Nations-Succeed/dp/1982160276
Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/masters-of-scale/id1227971746
www.Rocketdollar.com/learn
https://matsorensen.com/
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkryzanowski/.
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Connect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith
Instagram: @salesguyinvestor
Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Dec 7, 2022 • 38min
Michael Albaum - Two Fires in The Same Building
Is a fear mindset holding you back from success?
In this episode, Nathan talks with Michael Albaum, a former fire protection engineer and now a veteran real estate investor with experience in everything from single-family buy-and-hold to commercial real estate, NNN lease, and short-term rentals. He invests in the USA as well as internationally. Michael is also the head coach of the Rooftstock Academy and primarily lives out of his van with his wife as they travel the country.
Michael talks to us about how he found success in real estate and overcame not one but two fires in the same building he was rehabbing from a distance. It nearly destroyed him, but he tells us how he returned stronger on the other side. He walks us through the meaning of success and how you can change a fear mindset into a success mindset, turning your dreams into reality.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE
0:00 Coming up
0:11 Intro
1:00 Welcome Michael to the show
1:30 Michael’s story- how he found success in real estate investing
3:27 His saving rate before he started investing
7:00 His first investing story and how he was able to scale quickly
7:57 What success means to him
9:50 Will his definition of success change in the future?
12:54 what is his worst-case scenario, and how does it shape his decisions
14:00 How he overcomes his fears when investing in new asset classes
15:22 His most difficult experience and what he learned from it
21:28 You can't be enamored by the shiny end product because there is everything in between
23:20 If he could go back in time and fast-track his success, what would he do differently
25:36 How to change a negative mindset into a success mindset
28 How Nathan and his family help keep a positive perspective by saying what they are thankful for
29:00 Your brain looks for what you focus on
29:28 One secret that helped him unlock his success
32:09 Book recommendations
32:51 Tool, tech, or app recommendations
34:07 Help and connect with Michael
35:20 What is Roofstock academy?
36:49 Final thoughts
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Roofstock Academy: https://www.roofstockacademy.com/
Stessa: https://stessa.com/
Book Recommendation: The Go-Giver by John David https://amzn.to/3NXEJoi
Book Recommendation: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant https://amzn.to/3hyKdtk
Our favorite deal analyzer - DealCheck (PROMO CODE: UNDOOR): https://dealcheck.io/?fp_ref=n8m28
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
https://twitter.com/MichaelAlbaum
Remote Real Estate Investor Podcast: https://remoterealesateinvestor.podbean.com/
Roofstock Academy: https://www.roofstockacademy.com/
CONNECT WITH THE HOST
Nathan Murith is a husband, father, technologist, remote real estate investor, coach, and podcast host.
Get in touch with Nathan: https://undoor.com/links
Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Dec 5, 2022 • 16min
The Renaissance - Meet the Hosts
Hello, and thank you for joining us today on "The Gentle Art of Crushing it!" podcast, where we focus on learning and sharing with our listeners all there is to know about how to create success in our lives.
This show stands on the shoulders of Giants.
Our mission is to empower and inspire our listeners to create the life of their dreams whilst having a blast in the process. Let's celebrate life together! Welcome to the show.
Whether you are interested in syndication, hospitality, residential, self-storage, or the success mindset, this show has you covered.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE
0:45 Introduction to the show
1:20 Doug’s introduction
2.28 Randy’s introduction
3.48 What you can expect on Randy’s show
4.37 Nathan’s introduction
5.44 What you can expect on Nathan’s show
6.56 Marta’s Introduction
7.50 What you can expect on Marta’s show
9.31 Derek’s Introduction
10.20 What you can expect on Derek’s show
11.14 Sean’s Introduction
11.28 What you can expect on Sean’s show
12.18 David’s Introduction
13.12 What you can expect on David’s show
13.40 Final thoughts
CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Derek Felch-
Connect with Derek Felch to discuss Short Term Rental operations and revenue management. https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekfelch/
Sean Graham-
Connect with Sean Graham to discuss self-storage syndication investment opportunities at Maven Equities or to sell your self-storage facility without a broker.
linktr.ee/seangraham
www.mavenequities.com
www.mavenstorage.com
Doug Clark-
Connect with Doug Clark - Success Mindset.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-clark-a13a68191/
Randy Smith-
Connect with Randy Smith for more educational content or to discuss passive investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @salesguyinvestor
Nathan Murith-
Success in technology and out-of-state single-family investing.
https://undoor.com/links
Marta Cieslak-
Marta Cieslak is a mom of two boys, a healthcare strategist by day, and a real estate investor by night. Her focus in real estate investing is within the hospitality industry. Connect with Marta https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-cieslak-mph-317a5611/
Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it
Listen, like, subscribe, comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Oct 25, 2022 • 54min
David Lyons - Why Short-Term Rentals are out and Triple Net is in.
David Lyons is a husband, avid leaner and full-time commercial real estate investor in Atlanta, Ga. Founder at Redfox Investment Group, he focuses on buying retail, medical office and industrial properties with triple net leases, providing strong and passive returns that allow him and his investors to live life on their terms.
Website: www.redfoxinvestmentgroup.com
Instagram: @itsdavidlyons
Twitter: @itsdavidlyons
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lyons-6bb26178/
Connect with our Host Doug : https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-clark-a13a68191/

Oct 22, 2022 • 31min
Ryan Stieg - Passive Investing with Tribes through Left Field Investors
Ryan Stieg started down the path of passive investing like many of us did, after he picked up a little purple book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The problem was that he did that in college and didn't take action on it to start investing passively until many years later when that itch to invest passively crept back up.
Since 2016, Ryan has focused (or should we say lack thereof) on all different kinds of investing, always returning to real estate and business as his mainstay. Ryan has a small portfolio of one to three-unit rentals across five markets in the US. He has also invested in over forty real estate syndication investments individually or with an investment group he co-founded with fellow Infielder and Left Field Investor Jim Pfeifer. Besides that, Ryan has investments in note funds, mobile home park funds, life settlements, a development project, cryptocurrency, and other items that further cement his self-diagnosis of "shiny object syndrome".
However, with all of those reaches over the years, Ryan still believes in the long term success and tenets of passive, cash flow-focused, investing with proven syndicators and shared knowledge in investing.
When he is not working on passive investments, he is working on another new venture starting a Club Pilates franchise in his hometown, or he can be found with his wife watching whatever sport one of their two boys is involved in during that particular season.
Connect with Ryan Stieg at ryan@leftfieldinvestors.com , www.leftfieldinvestors.com, or LinkedIn!
Connect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @salesguyinvestor


