Turn Up The Hustle Podcast

What happens when a real estate lender starts treating Pokémon cards like collateral? Chris Carrillo is taking the lending experience he built through real estate and applying it to a business most people wouldn’t expect: helping collectors borrow against their cards. On this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, Mr. Hustle and Skylar Moon sit down with Chris to unpack a journey that started...

What makes someone leave a steady job during a housing crash—and build a real estate career with more than $400 million in sales volume? For Sandra Rangel, it started with a decision to bet on the business she was already building on evenings and weekends. On this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, Mr. Hustle and Skylar Moon sit down with San Antonio’s “Listing Queen,” Sandra Rangel. From...

How does a dental hygienist go from being furloughed during a global pandemic to turning her last $1,500 into a luxury teeth whitening empire? In this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, hosts Michael Llanas sit down with Heather, the visionary founder of Queen of the Mouth! Heather shares her powerful story of resilience—from overcoming a childhood speech impediment and navigating the chal...

How does a 24-year-old turn down 10 college scholarships—including five full rides—to move to a new city and chase a career in real estate? In this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, hosts Michael Llanas and Skylar Moon sit down with Davis Villas, the Senior Disposition Agent at Inspired Buyers. Davis shares his incredible story of leaving his hometown of El Paso, selling his house, and mo...

How does a 17-year-old immigrant from El Salvador go from cleaning a 50,000-square-foot church to owning a real estate empire with over 300 properties? In this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, hosts Michael Llanas and Skylar Moon sit down with Edwin Morsa, the CEO of Morsa Homes. Edwin shares his incredible, faith-driven journey of moving to the United States, surviving failed business v...

Welcome back to another episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast! In this highly requested episode, host Skylar Moon flips the script and interviews our regular host, Michael Llanas (aka Mr. Hustle). For the first time ever, Michael shares the raw, untold story of his journey before the wealth and the hundreds of real estate transactions. From growing up below the poverty line in a rough neighbor...

Welcome back to another episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast! In this episode, hosts Michael Llanas (aka Mr. Hustle) and Skylar Moon sit down with special guest Ed Guerrero, a seasoned CPA and real estate investor based out of San Antonio! With over 25 years of experience, Ed isn’t just your regular accountant—he’s a "tax psychologist" who specializes in helping business owners, who...

Hustlers, welcome back to the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast! In this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, we sit down with private money lender Mike Leiva to break down everything you need to know about hard money lending. From his beginnings selling magazines door-to-door to becoming a top loan officer at Conventus, Mike discusses his journey through different sales industries and how his pers...

Hustlers, welcome back to the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast! In today’s episode, Michael Llanas (Mr. Hustle) sits down with his right-hand man and the operational powerhouse behind Inspired Buyers: Frank Tovar. This isn't just a business interview; it’s a deep dive into a decade-long partnership built on loyalty, grit, and extreme resilience. Frank shares his journey from growing up on the inner...

How do you go from bouncing at a nightclub and working at a car wash to selling homes with an average of only 18 days on market in one of the toughest real estate markets? 🏠📈 In this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, Skylar Moon sits down with high performance realtor and investor Dezmon Metze. Dezmon isn’t just an agent; he’s a strategist who treats real estate like a high-performance...

In this episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, host Michael Llannas and Skylar Moon sits down with Chris Espino from Espino Tire and Wheel. Chris shares the legacy of his family's multi-million dollar business, growing up working in the automotive industry, and expanding their services from wheels and tires to custom wraps and paint protection film. He opens up about the reality of the cu...

Discover how Linda Kim transitioned from a corporate creative director at companies like Amazon and Microsoft to managing a $10 million luxury Airbnb portfolio. In this episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, she shares her journey of leaving a thirteen-year relationship and a steady nine-to-five to build an empire through rental arbitrage. Learn the exact strategies she uses to identify high-p...

Spurs Jesus, a local icon in San Antonio, joins the podcast to share the incredible 16-year journey of his brand. What began as a simple Halloween costume in 2005 eventually evolved into a powerful marketing force and community symbol. In this Podcast, he discusses the accidental branding that led to his viral success, the business strategies behind his major partnerships, and his deep commitment...

Join Mr. Hustle and personal injury attorney Luis Guerrero of Warrior Law as they dive into the journey of building a powerhouse legal firm in San Antonio. From his humble beginnings in Mexico to recovering millions for his clients, Luis shares the entrepreneurial mindset and "25/8" grind required to challenge the industry's biggest players. This episode explores how Warrior Law is...

In this episode of Turn Up the Hustle Podcast, San Antonio realtor Brad Scott shares his unconventional journey from a high-profile Austin DJ to a "viral" real estate sensation! He discusses his "anti-professional" approach to building a personal brand, the importance of genuine detachment in business, and how lean operations allowed him to scale to $100K months. From his partn...

Real estate expert Martin Tirado joins the Turn Up the Hustle podcast to share his journey from a sneakerhead to a top-producing agent with over $400 million in career sales. In this episode, he breaks down the blueprint for building a $138 million real estate team, explains the passive wealth potential of revenue sharing and joint ventures, and reveals his unique transition into luxury developmen...

Robert Elder joins the Turn up the Hustle podcast to discuss his remarkable journey from childhood shoe sales in Laredo to achieving nearly $1 billion in real estate sales! He shares the "cheat code" of his nine year sobriety and the resilience required to bounce back from financial ruin twice...once as a teenager when his family lost everything and again after losing a multi-million dol...

In this long awaited episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, the legendary UTSA quarterback Frank Harris shares the incredible story of his rise to success, including how he overcame 11 major surgeries and a life threatening infection that nearly led to amputation. Discover the mindset that allowed him to set 38 school records, lead the Roadrunners to two conference championships, and ultimatel...

In this episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, fitness entrepreneur Vero Holland shares her transformative journey from starting in multi-level marketing at 18 to building a successful independent online training empire.  She discusses the mindset shift required to move away from the "skinny fat" trap of under-eating and explains how she built a massive community through her signatur...

In this episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, senior acquisitions expert Roger Llanas, the big brother of Mr. Hustle, shares his journey from a 15 year medical career to real estate success at Inspired Buyers.  Roger discusses how he transitioned from 12 hour hospital shifts to closing $35,000 assignment fees by prioritizing discipline and living below his means.  Learn why he believes in-per...

On today episode of Turn Up the Hustle podcast, we sits down with Burton Alicando, the well known face of PropStream, to explore his inspiring journey from being a struggling high schooler to becoming a leading expert in real estate data. In this episode, Burton discusses how his diverse background, from working as a Disney cast member to managing a GameStop, shaped his unique perspective on utili...

In this episode of Turn Up the Hustle Podcast, We sit down with Tyler Hennessy, a former worship pastor who successfully transitioned into a career as a financial strategist. After 20 years in ministry, Hennessy explains how he applied his background in leadership and connection to the world of finance, eventually paying off a $250,000 mortgage in only three and a half years using the HELOC strate...

In this episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast, we sitting down with Army veteran Chris Wood, founder of Home Lab here in San Antonio.  Chris shares his journey from serving 10 years as a combat flight medic in the 82nd Airborne Division to managing nearly 150 properties with a "resident centered" approach. Sponsors:  Hustle Academy - Join the community today at https://hustleacademy....

In this episode of the Turn up the Hustle podcast, entrepreneur Cherry the Barber shares her powerful journey from serving a six year prison sentence to building a prominent barbering brand.  She opens up about a turbulent childhood marked by the loss of her father at 14 and being introduced to drugs by her mother, which ultimately led to her incarceration from ages 17 to 23. While in prison, she...

This episode of the Turn Up the Hustle podcast features Clint Belew, a real estate investor who shares his journey from framing houses for $100 a day to building a commercial real estate empire.  The discussion covers the tactical advantages of "triple net" leases, the transition from managing 40 residential rentals to scalable commercial assets, and how wholesalers can pivot into high v...