🚀 How Not to Screw Up Your Startup – Hard-Earned Advice from VC Andrew Ackerman

In this episode of Stash Cast, Andrew Ackerman is back with raw, practical startup advice drawn from 70+ investments, 100+ coached founders, and two startup exits. He shares the real reason most founders fail—and what he’s doing about it with his new book A Novel Approach to Startups.

📘 This is not your average business book. Inspired by The Goal, Andrew’s novel delivers startup lessons through story, making it easier to remember and apply when it counts.🔍 Insights:

* Most startup education fails because it’s boring, disconnected, or delivered out of order

* Cold emails to VCs almost never work—they signal laziness, not hustle

* Startups are enterprise sales: the same planning, targeting, and positioning applies

* Great storytelling outperforms slides and spreadsheets when teaching real-world business skills

* Your co-founder matters as much as your idea—get that decision wrong and everything else crumbles

✅ Key Takeaways:

* Focus on warm intros and building investor relationships early—not just when you need funding

* Cold calling works (if you do the research); cold emailing does not

* Don’t pitch—ask great questions. The best meetings are conversations, not monologues

* The right investor is a long-term partner, not just a check

* Every founder should be spending 20–80% of their time fundraising—depending on stage

* Learn to teach your processes: if you can teach it, you understand it

🔔 Subscribe to Stash Cast for more honest conversations with founders, VCs, and operators building the future.

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In this episode of The Stash Cast, Jake and Stash dive deep into the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship, mental health, and staying authentic in the creator economy. From navigating the chaos of brand building to the discipline required to stay consistent, this episode is a must-watch for creatives, business owners, and anyone chasing passion over paycheck.

🎙️ Key Topics Covered:

The importance of consistency in building a brand

Balancing creative work with business demands

Navigating burnout and self-awareness as a creator

What it really takes to make your passion sustainable

Why honesty and transparency matter in podcasting and business

💡 Key Takeaways:

Start messy, then refine – you don’t need to be perfect to begin.

Burnout is real – knowing your limits and resetting is key to longevity.

Storytelling and transparency are more valuable than polished perfection.

Discipline beats motivation – especially when your name is your brand.

The journey is the reward – every failure is a step toward clarity.

Unlocking U.S. Real Estate for Global Investors | Stash Cast ft. Amresh Singh of HomeAbroad

🎙 In this episode of Stash Cast, Stash Geleszinski sits down with Amresh Singh, founder and CEO of HomeAbroad, to unpack how he's opening up the U.S. real estate market to foreign investors—and soon, to domestic ones too.

Amresh shares how HomeAbroad acts as a one-stop shop for international investors, providing everything from AI-powered property searches and financing (even without U.S. credit history!) to LLC formation and property management connections. Learn how his journey from India to the U.S. sparked the idea for this revolutionary platform—and how he's using technology, financing, and education to democratize real estate investing.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Why U.S. Real Estate Is Unique: Fixed 30-year mortgages, leverage, and appreciation in USD make the U.S. market a global investor magnet.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Most global and local investors don’t realize they can qualify for loans using rental income—not personal income.

-HomeAbroad’s Solution: End-to-end platform offering property sourcing, funding, and post-sale support tailored for global investors.

-Local Expansion – Ziffy.ai: A Zillow-style AI tool for U.S. investors to find cash-flowing deals based on data, not guesswork.

Market Trends: Investors are targeting Texas, Florida, and the Midwest for long-term rentals, with Hawaii and Orlando hot for short-term income.

Building from the Ground Up: Amresh bootstrapped HomeAbroad, evolving the company through real-time market feedback—not a pivot, but a smart evolution.

🌍 Whether you're an international buyer looking for a safe, cash-flowing U.S. investment—or a local investor overwhelmed by where to start—this episode breaks down how HomeAbroad is changing the game.

Inside the Evolution of Multifamily Brokerage | The Stash Cast with George Tikijian

In this episode of The Stash Cast, Stash sits down with George Tikijian — a commercial real estate veteran with 40+ years of experience — to dive deep into the evolution of multifamily brokerage, entrepreneurship, and building a resilient real estate career.

George shares his journey from nearly becoming a banker to accidentally falling into apartment sales, surviving the 1980s real estate crash, and eventually leading one of Indiana’s most respected multifamily teams at CBRE.

🔑 Key Topics We Cover:

* How the 1986 tax reform triggered a 30% drop in property values — and how George adapted

* The Wild West era of 1980s brokerage vs. today's team-driven approach

* Why cold calling alone won’t build a sustainable brokerage career

* How building a strong database gave George a long-term competitive advantage

* How to survive market downturns (and even thrive through REO sales)

* The right way to train young brokers without throwing them into the deep end

* Why "off-market" deals aren't what most people think

* How top brokers truly build and maintain client loyalty over decades

* The real reason national brokerage brands matter today — and why CBRE leads in multifamily

💡 Insights and Takeaways:

* Entrepreneurial Mindset Wins: Brokerage rewards those who think long-term, build systems, and treat it like a business — not just a hustle.

* Hard Work and Smart Work: Success isn’t about making the most calls; it's about delivering value, mastering your market, and playing the long game.

* Survival in Cycles: The brokers who thrive during downturns are the ones who lower their cost of living, stay active, and solve real problems.

* Relationships > Deals: Building trust through consistent service — not just flashy sales tactics — earns lasting client loyalty.

* Systems Beat Luck: George’s commitment to gathering apartment data long before CoStar gave him an unmatched edge in his market.

* Team > Lone Wolf: In today’s environment, collaboration, specialization, and mentorship inside a strong team create much faster (and more sustainable) success.

👊 If you’re serious about real estate, investing, or building a lasting business, this episode is packed with real-world lessons you won't find in a textbook.

From $8B in Sales to a Legacy of Integrity: How Michael Bull Built a Commercial Real Estate Empire

In this episode of Stash Cast, we sit down with the legendary Michael Bull — founder of Bull Realty, host of America’s Commercial Real Estate Show, and a powerhouse in brokerage, training, and thought leadership in CRE.

Michael shares his story of building a firm rooted in integrity, breaking away from national firms to create a brokerage with a collaborative, client-first culture. We dig into his transition from multifamily to office assets, the challenges of maintaining brand standards when hiring, and the evolving landscape of the office market, including distressed asset opportunities and slow-but-sure rebounds.

🎙️ Key Takeaways:

💼 Integrity First: Michael built Bull Realty to set a new standard of trust and professionalism in commercial brokerage.

🧠 Training Culture Wins: Bull Realty’s internal training and Michael’s Commercial Agent Success platform emphasize ethics, scripts, and negotiation tactics for real-world deals.

🏢 Office Market Rebound: Michael shares why now might be the smartest time to invest in office properties—especially with low basis buys and a halt in new construction.

📈 Brokerage Lessons: From fax-on-demand listings to high-tech tools and AI, Michael has seen it all—and shares how tech can (and should) amplify smart marketing.

🎧 Podcasting Since Before It Was Cool: What started as a local radio show in 2010 became a national platform and educational hub for agents and investors.

📞 The Lost Art of the Phone Call: “Did you pick up the phone?” remains one of Michael’s best-performing negotiation tactics.

💡 Whether you're new to CRE or decades in, this conversation is full of wisdom, humor, and practical strategies you can use to elevate your game.

In this episode of The Stash Cast, Karl Krakoff shares his journey from healthcare strategy executive to multifamily real estate operator in Washington State. With over 100 units under management, Karl walks us through how he transitioned from live-in flips to full-scale developments and value-add multifamily investments—while navigating the complexities of zoning laws, rent control, and managing operational expenses.

🎙️ Key Insights & Takeaways:

💼 Corporate Exit Strategy: Karl left a decade-long career in healthcare to build freedom through real estate, starting with house hacking and scaling through flips, joint ventures, and syndications.

🏘️ From Flips to Ground-Up Construction: Limited access to capital pushed him toward flipping and eventually led to new construction projects—including learning curves with permits, inspections, and project delays.

🛠️ Tech-Driven Property Management: Karl uses platforms like AppFolio and Buildium and leverages ChatGPT to triage maintenance issues before dispatching contractors, saving time and cost.

📉 Rent Control Realities: Operating in Seattle means factoring rent caps and tenant rights into every business plan. Karl discusses how this disincentivizes developers and investors—and what needs to change.

🧠 AI in Permitting? Karl and host Stash explore how AI and machine learning could drastically reduce permitting timelines and inefficiencies in city review processes.

🏃‍♂️ Daily Discipline & Mental Clarity: Karl credits his fitness routine—especially trail running—for sharpening discipline, building mental resilience, and staying focused as an entrepreneur.

🚀 Whether you're a real estate investor, developer, or just curious about how to scale from flips to multifamily portfolios, this episode is full of practical insights and honest takes on the current market.

Multifamily Market Meltdown or Opportunity? 2024 Insights with Ryan Smyth

Ryan Smyth is back for his second appearance on Stash Cast—and he’s bringing sharp insights on the current real estate market, investment strategies, and what lies ahead. In this episode, we dig into the seismic shifts in multifamily real estate, from investor behavior and underwriting discipline to how the Trump administration's proposed tariffs and economic policies could impact new developments and valuations.

📉 Key Takeaways: Transaction volume remains muted with a massive market disconnect between buyer expectations and seller realities.

Investors are increasingly focused on newer core-plus assets (2000s+), pivoting away from older 70s–80s vintage deals due to high capital expenditure and underwhelming returns.

The Midwest continues to outperform due to less overbuilding and stable fundamentals, while Sunbelt markets face absorption challenges from oversupply.

Long-term holds (7–10 years) are now key to unlocking returns, with short-term deals suffering from delayed rent growth and economic uncertainty.

Infrastructure, political stability, and onshoring policies will play a growing role in shaping investment opportunities through 2026 and beyond.

🗺️ Market Spotlight: Southeast and Southwest = construction oversupply & stagnation. Midwest = predictability, lower competition, stable growth.

💬 Also discussed: How tariffs could reshape new construction and U.S. manufacturing. What top brokers do differently to earn repeat business. Real talk on taking losses, holding patterns, and preparing for price discovery.

📊 If you're a multifamily investor, broker, or just love diving into market data—this is a must-listen.

Revolutionizing Housing with Steel Frame & Mag Board | Stash Cast with Keith Lewis

🏡 In this episode of Stash Cast, we sit down with Keith Lewis, founder of the Carbon Neutral Growth Fund, to explore an innovative approach to real estate development using steel frame construction and magnesium oxide board (Mag Board). Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, Keith shares how he’s disrupting the market with hurricane-proof, fire-resistant, and mold-proof housing that’s faster to build, healthier to live in, and more affordable in the long run. 🔧 Whether you're a developer, investor, or real estate enthusiast, this episode is packed with powerful insights into the future of sustainable construction.

📌 Key Takeaways:

✔️ Magnesium Oxide Board is mold-resistant, hypoallergenic, fire-rated, and doesn’t absorb moisture – ideal for high-moisture, storm-prone areas.

✔️ Steel Frame Construction allows for faster builds with less waste and higher structural integrity than wood or concrete block homes.

✔️ Cost-Efficiency: Despite a 30% markup on Mag Board due to tariffs, overall build costs remain competitive, especially considering long-term maintenance savings.

✔️ Green Building Incentives: Builders can receive up to $6,500 per unit in tax credits for energy-efficient construction.

✔️ Hurricane-Tested: These homes have endured CAT 5 storms in places like the Bahamas and Tampa without damage.

✔️ Prefab Smart Design: Panels come pre-measured with slots for plumbing and electrical, reducing time and labor costs.

🧠 INSIGHTS: The construction industry is overdue for disruption. This episode proves that with thoughtful engineering and material innovation, we can build homes that are not only resilient and sustainable—but also more cost-effective and healthier for families.