Today, Lane Kawaoka is investing in real estate syndications, which invest in Class C & B Multi-Family apartments, RV Parks, mobile homes, and assisted living facilities because of the USA’s demand for affordable housing – not rich-people Class-A assets. His mission is to help regular people make good deals that were once only accessible to the rich.

The passive income from investing in stabilized rental properties made it possible for me to move back home to Hawaii , where the cost of paradise is 10%+ the cost of living and 30% less than the pay for comparable jobs in the US mainland. There, I was able to live a lifestyle where I could bike to work. It did not take me long, however, to finally quit my day job and ditch the e-bike for a Mercedes.

Graham and Kevin introduce their guest Lane Kawaoka, CEO of The Wealth Elevator, who is joining them from Hawaii, which is a day behind their current time. They discuss Lane's background in real estate investing, starting with single-family rental properties and then transitioning to larger commercial real estate deals and syndications.

Lane explains the "1% rule" for evaluating rental properties - the monthly rent should be at least 1% of the property's purchase price. He discusses how this is easier to achieve in secondary and tertiary markets compared to high-cost primary markets like California. He also highlights the benefits of focusing on cash flow over pure appreciation.

As Lane's portfolio grew, he found the hassle of managing numerous single-family rentals became too much. He pivoted to investing in larger commercial real estate deals through syndications, which provide more institutional-quality assets and economies of scale. This allowed him to focus more on value-add strategies and force appreciation.

Lane discusses his book "The Wealth Elevator" and how it aims to guide investors at different net worth levels on appropriate investment strategies. He is passionate about empowering the "first generation" of wealth creators, providing free educational content, and building a community of like-minded investors.

While real estate remains Lane's core focus, he is also exploring opportunities in other asset classes like micro private equity and digital marketing agency acquisitions. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear financial track record and P&L when evaluating new investments, rather than "flying blind".

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of

John Hannum provides an overview of his fractional CFOs business. His company takes experienced CFOs and "fractionalises" them to serve multiple clients.

John Hannum provides an overview of his fractional CFO services, explaining that his company takes experienced CFOs and "fractionalizes" them to serve multiple clients. The key benefits are access to high-level financial expertise without the cost of a full-time CFO, as well as the ability to leverage a CFO's industry-specific knowledge.

John discusses the process of hiring and managing fractional CFOs, emphasizing the importance of finding the right personality fit and industry expertise. He also outlines how he structures the client engagement, with a focus on regular touchpoints and clear communication boundaries to ensure the CFO's time is used efficiently.

The group explores the impact of AI on the finance function, acknowledging that AI will automate many repetitive tasks but arguing that the strategic, advisory role of the CFO will remain valuable. They discuss how AI can enhance financial analysis and decision-making, but emphasize the continued need for human leadership and judgment.

John provides data on the size of the fractional CFO market, noting that there are currently only around 11,000 fractional CFOs serving 33 million small and medium-sized businesses in the US. He sees this as a significant growth opportunity, especially as more companies recognize the value of accessing high-level financial expertise on a part-time basis.

The group concludes the discussion, summarising the key insights around the evolving role of the CFO, the potential impact of AI, and the sizable market opportunity for fractional CFO services.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Canary Island Garlic & Herb Olive Oil is the name given to Kristi's business partner's great grandmother's special recipe. Pour it over fish and it's like eating a Michelin star meal. It was a secret sauce that captivated the people who came into contact with it. These people included some very famous marketers including Dean Jackson and John Carlton.

Kristi and Graham both are members of Flint McGlaughlin's MeclabsAI Guild. Kristi has been around since God was a lad, and Graham a more recent joiner.

I grew up the child of entrepreneurs. My parents owned grocery stores,a beauty shop, hobby shop and rental properties. My parents taught me at a young age to do what you love... and you'll never have a dull moment... my parents became cosmologists because there was a beauty salon for sale! My dad then got a gig doing hair for the local funeral home customers... he never did get a complaint.😉

North Caroline State University

Fast forward I went to school at North Carolina State University and double majored in Communication and Social Work... then with one class left to graduate with two degrees... I chucked it all behind, moved to Florida and opened a coffee house.

We were the first coffee house in the area (this was 1994) and people didn't know what Cafe Latte's were and would often call them Cafe Ladies... one person who didn't turn out to be a customer funnily enough.... said... "You really think you'll sell hot coffee... It's Florida! I said... We have frozen coffee too!

How to Cook

Eventually people caught on and loved our little Cafe Latte shop and wanted to eat there and began asking for lunch... which was a huge problem... because I didn't know how to cook!

So I said to my business partner, "All these people want to eat here but I don't know how to cook, what do we do?" She said, "Well I'll make my great grandmother's secret recipe and you just Splash it on everything and people will think you know how to cook!"

Well it worked, we ended up winning 13 People's Choice Awards, and I would tell our customers... You don't have to know how to cook when you can Splash!

Our customers went wild over our secret sauce and harangued Miriam to please bottle her sauces to which she replied, "I've already got two businesses. I don't have time to start a seasoned olive oil company as well."

Soooo.... customers started bringing in empty jars on their own birthdays and really big jars on Christmas and requesting "fill-er-up" gifts of our secret sauce.. gifts for themselves... from us!

After seven years they finally talked my business partner into bottling her secret sauce and we officially named it the Canary Island Garlic and Herb Olive Oil in honor of her great grandmother's heritage. And began doing live events.

We ended up going on tour every year for 2 months and would close our restaurant for the summer and go up north to do shows with our hand-blended seasoned olive oils.

In 2016 we returned to a yucky surprise when we came back to find our restaurant had been destroyed by a flood (from our neighbor) the insurance refused to rebuild and eventually we ended up selling our gutted restaurant building and going on the road full time...

But... not all is lost ... I like to say, "We had over 20 years in the restaurant business... we just went out with a Splash instead of a bang!

And went into the "secret recipe" business.

Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil

Our Canary Island Garlic Herb Olive Oil has been sold in Whole Foods Markets, gourmet shops, specialty food shops and online as well as in our restaurant. We've been featured in multiple magazines, t.v and even did a guest appearance on NPR (National Public Radio)

We've co-authored 3 books and done over 800 live events, probably more like 1000 by now... I...

• Kevin discusses his plans to implement a new productivity system called "Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults" (PPV)
• He discovered PPV from a YouTuber named August Bradley.
• The system aims to help him better manage his planning, to-do lists, contacts, and knowledge base.
• Graham shares his excitement about the potential of AI and automation to transform businesses and industries in 2025.

• Kevin and Graham discuss the importance of balancing work and personal priorities as they get older.
• They agree that they don't want to fall behind on technology and want to continue learning and growing, but also recognise the value of having a fulfilling life outside of work.

• Kevin shares his plans for Grow CFO, a company he is involved with, to produce a technology innovation report focused on finance-related topics.
• He explains how AI and data analysis can help organisations optimise their spend management and procurement processes.
• Graham also discusses his plans to leverage MeclabsAI and automation to develop personalised solutions for a specific market sector.

• As the meeting comes to a close, Kevin and Graham reflect on the longevity of their podcast, which is approaching its 10th year.
• They discuss the possibility of continuing the podcast, potentially with the involvement of listeners, and how it provides them with the "freedom of association" that they value.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Apply here

Confidence is overrated, so says returning guest Susana Serrano Davey. This lovely Spanish lady has written a book entitle Confidence is Overrated which comes out March 2025.

• Graham and Kevin welcome back returning guest Susana Serrano-Davey, who has written a new book called "Confidence is Overrated" that will be released in March.
• Susana explains that the book challenges the traditional view of confidence and explores how to feel more at ease with oneself even without constant self-confidence.

• Susana delves deeper into her perspective on confidence, distinguishing it from self-esteem and imposter syndrome.
• She shares her own journey of not always feeling confident, and how she has learned to be more at peace with herself even in moments of self-doubt.

• The example of Malala Yousafzai was used to illustrate how challenging one's cultural and personal beliefs can lead to finding the courage to do things previously thought impossible.
• The importance of being open to new possibilities beyond one's career and preconceptions.

• Susana explains that her goal is for readers to enjoy the book, connect with her personal stories, and be inspired to reflect on their own lives and values.
• Her ultimate aim is to help people find a sense of inner peace and contentment, rather than constantly chasing confidence or external markers of success.

• In the closing discussion, Graham and Kevin reflect on their own journey of starting the podcast 450 episodes ago, when they had little confidence but took the leap anyway.
• They discuss how the podcast has evolved and the value of continuing to do it, even if it means letting go of reaching a specific milestone.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specializes in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, providing community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

OPDSure (Outpatient Department) is India's first OPD benefits plan for employees and families. Graham met Umesh, the founder of OPDSure, in November 2024 in New Delhi, India.

• OPDSure offers affordable outpatient healthcare coverage to Indian companies for their employees, focusing on preventive care.
• The Indian healthcare market is underserved, with long wait times at public hospitals and expensive private care.
• OPDSure initially targets small to mid-size companies, charging 3000 rupees (£30) per employee annually.
• The company is seeking $500k in initial funding to scale operations and plans to raise $5-10M from VCs later.

• Provides outpatient department (OPD) coverage not typically included in insurance.
• Targets corporate clients, offering as employee benefit.
• Flexible payment models: employer-paid, 50/50 split, or voluntary employee-paid.
• Annual cost 3000 rupees (£30) per employee.
• It allows visits to any doctor/clinic, not a restricted network.
• Includes alternative medicine (Ayurveda, homeopathy).

• 1.4 billion population with an overburdened public system.
• Long wait times at free government hospitals.
• Private care is unaffordable for many (£10+ per consultation).
• Average life expectancy is 60-65 years vs. 80+ in the UK.
• Lack of preventive care culture, especially among young people.

• The OPD market is estimated at $22 billion, growing to $40 billion by 2029.
• Initially targeting Delhi/NCR region, plans to expand nationwide.
• Focus on the 20-35 age group (70-80% of the corporate workforce).
• There are some competitors, but the market is large enough for multiple players.

• Seeking $500k initial investment for team expansion and marketing.
• A later round of $5-10M is planned for nationwide scaling.
• Founder has an MBA from Sheffield Hallam University.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. MicroMailings is his new low-risk, done-for-you marketing solution for companies seeking high-net-worth leads. He is also the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Graham Arrowsmith visited India with his wife, Dawn, in November 2024. This podcast recollects the experience and discusses MeclabsAI's Customer-Facing Devices.

This podcast discusses Graham's trip to India and explores applications of MeclabsAI, particularly Customer-Facing Devices (CFDs).

Key Takeaways

• Graham visited India, observing stark contrasts in urban development, pollution, and economic growth.
• Through CFDs, MeclabsAI offers powerful marketing, data analysis, and customer interaction capabilities.
• The technology has potential applications in finance, due diligence, and enhancing customer experiences.
• Security and data privacy are prioritised in MeclabsAI's approach, addressing concerns about data usage.

India Trip Observations

• Delhi: Estimated 35 million population, severe smog issues impacting health
• Chandigarh: Planned city by Le Corbusier, more organised than other Indian cities
• Traffic: Chaotic, with various vehicles weaving through lanes.
• Economic contrast: Educated professionals alongside significant poverty in slums.
• Growth: India is recognised as one of the fastest-growing economies globally.

MeclabsAI Capabilities

• Customer Facing Devices (CFDs): Advanced AI agents that can replace traditional chatbots.
• Data analysis: Can process financial reports, identify trends, and provide insights.
• Content creation: Ability to generate podcasts, articles, and marketing materials.
• Personalisation: Can create tailored experiences for customers, e.g., in jewellery shopping
• Integration: Potential to replace or enhance existing website functionalities.

Business Applications

• Due diligence: Analysing pitch decks and financial data for investors.
• Finance presentations: Improving how financial data is communicated to non-finance audiences.
• Marketing optimisation: Leveraging 30 years of marketing research to enhance conversions.
• Lead generation: Creating engaging user journeys that capture customer information effectively.

Technical Aspects

• Security: Emphasis on data privacy and secure handling of uploaded information.
• Customisation: It is easy to add proprietary information to create tailored AI libraries.
• Ongoing development: Regular updates and improvements to the system's capabilities

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. MicroMailings is his new low-risk, done-for-you marketing solution for companies seeking high-net-worth leads. He is also the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, providing community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at

Financial advisor Kostas Stylios joins The Next 100 Days podcast to discuss the differences between financial advisors and wealth managers and the conversation moves towards AI and robot-investing.

• Kostas Stylios provides an overview of the key differences between financial advisors and wealth managers.
• He explains that while they often perform similar roles, wealth managers are typically associated with serving a wealthier clientele.
• Meanwhile, financial advisors may work with a broader range of clients.

• The conversation shifts to the debate around active versus passive investing strategies.
• Kostas and the hosts discuss the pros and cons of each approach
• These include: the higher fees associated with active management and the potential for active funds to underperform their benchmarks.

• The group explores the potential impact of AI and automation on the financial advice industry.
• They discuss the possibility of AI-powered “customer-facing devices” that could enhance client engagement and the challenges of maintaining the human element of financial advice in the face of technological advancements.

Difference between Financial Advisor and Wealth Manager

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Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. MicroMailings is his new low risk, done for you marketing solution for companies seeking high net worth leads. He is also founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world’s biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He’s the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com