Pickup The Phone

From Communist Cuba to 104 Real Estate Units: The Mindset & Strategy Behind Liuver Sanudo's Real Estate Empire | Pick Up The Phone Podcast The unfiltered journey of Liuver Sanudo, from escaping Communist Cuba with $8,000 in debt and no English, to building a portfolio of over 104 real estate units in Houston, Texas — and the exact mindset, strategies, and systems it took to get there. 💡 KEY T...

From $5M to $35M in Premiums: The Systems That Built GreenLine Insurance | Dulce Morales The unfiltered journey of Dulce Morales, from starting in the insurance industry at 18 with no experience, to co-founding GreenLine Insurance and building a massive $35 million annual premium operation — and the exact systems it takes to scale without burning out. 💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ How Dulce started at 18 a...

In this episode of the Pick Up The Phone Podcast, host Josue Llanas sits down with Angel Gonzalez, a former blue-collar ironworker who built a massive real estate portfolio by age 25. Angel shares his incredible journey from selling chips in middle school to working on wind turbines, and eventually buying a 72-unit apartment complex with just $10,000 down. Angel drops bold predictions about the re...

In this episode of the Pick Up The Phone Podcast, host Josue Llanas (CEO of Vancom) sits down with Houston real estate powerhouse Chai Phansalkar to dissect a career built onrelentless pivoting, massive wholesale deals, and an immigrant's unwavering drive. Chai shares the full story of how he went from an engineering student at the University of Houston to a seasoned investor with over 600 real es...

🏠 In this episode of the Pick Up the Phone Podcast, host Josue Llanas (CEO of v Willny shares his raw, unfiltered journey from a 17-year-old in Broward County, This is NOT your typical real estate success story. Willny gets brutally honest 💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ How Willny found his first deal on Craigslist (tied up at $50K, sold at $535 ✅ The $5,000 mastermind that completely changed his trajecto...

💡 Real estate veteran Gibran BB Hernandez — certified appraiser, broker, and former wholesaling powerhouse — joins host Josue Llanas on the Pick Up The Phone Podcast to break down what it really takes to succeed in today's shifting housing market. 🔑 What you'll take away from this episode: The systems behind 500+ wholesale deals in a single year How the rise of iBuyers and institutional ad spend...

What does it take to leave everything behind and start over in a new country — and then build a real estate investing business from nothing? In this episode of Pick Up The Phone, Josue Llanas talks with Kateryna Titenko, a Ukrainian immigrant turned Houston real estate agent and investor. Kateryna shares her journey from arriving in the U.S. to building a property investment portfolio in the Texas...

From clocking in at a 9–5 to building a real estate empire. Derek Kelley’s story is about work ethic, confidence, and refusing to stay stuck. Derek has completed 400+ real estate transactions in just 4 years , currently runs 30 active house flips , and owns 300+ doors — all while starting this journey with a W-2 job . He didn’t wait for the “perfect time.” He worked nights, weekends, and holidays....

James Toler is the #1 lender in Houston and Galveston County , with over 3,000 loans funded since 2021 and more than 100 flips per year under his belt. He’s the owner of King James Lending and one of the sharpest operators in the Texas real estate game. In this episode, James breaks down the mindset, strategy, and slow, obsessive improvement that built his empire — from earning just $4,000 in comm...

Crystal De León Sarmiento is a force. From growing up in Houston’s Southwest side to becoming a certified Business Behavior Analyst, Executive Business Coach, and the first Mexican-American councilwoman in Manvel Texas , her path is built on grit, execution, and leadership at the highest level. Crystal is the founder of The Ari Source , where she helps business owners scale with systems, KPIs, str...

Most people fear debt. Richard Marquez used it to build a $10M real estate empire. 🔥 He now owns 39 units across single-family and multifamily — built through strategy, discipline, and smart leverage. And he reached full financial freedom doing it. But his story didn’t start in real estate. Richard began in sales , transitioned into banking , and eventually became a branch manager . That’s where...

Jay Bustos and his wife run a high-performing mortgage + real estate operation — generating over $100M in loans every year and $50M+ in real estate transactions, backed by a team of 40+ people. Loan officers, realtors, and operations all moving under one vision. Named one of Houston’s Top 20 Under 40 Realtors, Jay became obsessed with building, scaling, and creating generational wealth through sma...

Over $100M in real-estate sales and  $1M net worth before 25 — Kaleb Monroe is proof that execution beats excuses. 👊 Kaleb is the founder of The Monroe Team , a Houston-based real estate company known for its strong culture, rapid growth, and relentless mindset. He started in 2020 — right when the world shut down — with zero experience and one goal: move fast and learn faster. In this episod...

Andrea Cruz is the founder of a multi-million-dollar wholesale company that flips, wholesales, and renovates properties — all built from grit, risk, and smart execution. Her story starts with a tough lesson — losing $80,000 on her first flip — but that loss became her greatest teacher. With no mentor and no system, she paid the price to learn what not to do. Later, with the right mentorship, Andre...

  Adam Hunt is a commercial developer and the founder of Hunt Commercial & Housing , a private boutique real estate company.  He didn’t start with success — far from it. In 2015, Adam had just $36 left on his credit card. A friend got him a leasing job, and within two weeks, he became the #1 sales agent on the team. But his real turning point came years later — when a contractor walk...

Janine Cascio is the CEO and founder of Simple Lending Financial , a nationwide private-money lending company that has funded over $100 million in loans 💼. From studying accounting to modeling in New York, Janine’s journey proves what happens when ambition turns into execution. She always knew she was meant for more — and built a business that now funds deals across the U.S. In this episode, Jani...

Eddie Mendoza built his construction company, Remodel HTX, from the ground up — now completing projects for Starbucks, Raising Cane’s, and Five Guys 🔥. With over 2,000 commercial work orders and 100+ home renovations, Eddie’s story shows how powerful relationships and relentless networking can turn hustle into opportunity.   In this episode, Eddie breaks down his journey and the lessons that...

Justin Davis started flipping homes in 2019 — and hit 7 figures within his first 24 months 💰. From student loans and humble beginnings to building luxury homes and flipping houses in Houston’s premier neighborhoods, Justin’s story is about focus, faith, and forward momentum . In this episode, Justin breaks down his journey and the mindset that shaped his success: Getting fired after 17 years in c...

Josh Fard is the owner of First Nation Financial Corporation a mortgage broker company and a proven sales leader and real estate developer 💼. With more than 500 sales reps hired and trained , he’s built multiple divisions in the mortgage industry, developed projects from the ground up, and continues expanding his footprint from Los Angeles to Houston . In this episode, Josh breaks down the mindse...

Darel has been in business for 22 years — he’s the owner of Nobel Mortgage & Investments (a leading hard money loan company) and Co-Owner of Legacy Insurance Advisor 💼. Every January, he hosts one of Houston’s biggest investment forecast events with over 500 active professionals in attendance . In this episode, Darel shares the mindset, strategies, and lessons that helped him build longevity...

Robert went from prison to financial freedom — earning a reputation as a Master Salesman 💼. Sales became his passion, his weapon, and the foundation that turned his life around. In this episode, Robert breaks down his journey and the lessons that built his success: How prison fueled his obsession with learning 📚 The first legal $4,000 check he earned — and why he kept it as a symbol of attractio...

Jake has built a $50 Million real estate portfolio with 400,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space and 30 acres of industrial outdoor storage 💼. And he’s done it with minimal partners. In this episode, Jake breaks down how he went from wholesaling land at 18 to becoming a leader in the industrial warehouse space: His early strategy of flipping land while stacking industrial deals 🏗️ Using hard money to b...

Boris Sanchez built himself from the ground up to a net worth of over $40 Million 💼. His first commercial deal in real estate earned him $250K — enough to retire his dad and by 32, he had already hit his first million 💰. In this episode, Boris shares: Why he knew the 9–5 life wasn’t for him 🚫 How he became addicted to learning by studying appraisals 📚 Why the popular BRRR method is limited — a...

Paul’s story is all about scaling with strategy. He went from working at his dad’s agency to launching Greenline Insurance Group, now running a $140K monthly payroll and leading 22 full-time W-2 employees 💼 In this episode, Paul shares: How he built relationships with top mortgage lenders in Houston 🤝 The systems & processes(created by his wife, the operations genius) that fuel growth⚙️ Why...

💰 690 rental units, 60 active flips and a real estate portfolio worth $50M — that’s where Jon Rickey stands today. But it didn’t start there. His story isn’t about luck it’s about grit, sacrifice, and playing the long game. 📈 He grew up riding in his dad’s truck, learning how to turn ranches and land into opportunity. By 20, he closed his first deal flipping timber and a property for a quick pro...