AJ Osborne Podcast

Cybersecurity is highly technical. You and I probably would not be able to understand a lot of the terms or systems or coding behind it. But revolutionary improvements come from the practical application of technology. So, how do we leverage the tech available to us in our own personal and professional lives? Is it truly the next step for modern businesses? In this episode, we bring on Darren Gall...

Avery and her husband had a great idea one day to purchase a home and to rent it out, in hopes that one day, they will be able to help fund their kids' education with the income. They didn't even know this was known as "Real Estate Investing." At the time, there was no such thing as podcasts or courses to talk about this.  This idea then morphed into AirBNBs and short-term rentals, and s...

Real estate investing has two forms: active and passive. Passive is what most people think of when you say real estate investing, where you buy an asset, and it generates some sort of cashflow for you. Active investing takes this and applies the principles of business, including scale, value-add, management, and more. Today's guest, John Klingelhoets, began investing in real estate a decade ago. B...

Can luck dictate one's success in business? Absolutely. But looking at another's success or luck does not mean that you lose something in exchange. Luck is something I fully believe can be CREATED. For example, when I was paralyzed and stuck in a hospital bed, many may say - how is that lucky? That seems like terrible luck. But looking back today, I feel grateful for this experience. It's shaped m...

2024 is yet another pivotal election year for the United States. But if we've learned anything from the last few elections, there is a tremendous amount of fearmongering, noise, and propaganda that can result from a journalistic system incentivized by money and clicks.     This is why I'm HYPER-aware of anything that intends to change or influence my perceived reality. We all perceive th...

My dad, Ron, lived in a time where mortgage interest rates were 18% - the highest in US history. He assumed he would never be able to own a home, and he would be renting forever. He had friends going down to the bank to get 12% interest on a Certificate of Deposit (CD). It was absolutely bonkers.    He was just trying to get started, as a young man. The policies enacted to get things und...

The US had a huge role in shaping the world the way we know it today. It's role in international wars, politics, and economics has been astounding, particularly for a country so young. It's done a lot of bad, it's done a lot of good. But with the way the world is today...is the era of "good" over? Let's talk about the assumption that the way we perceive the world today is how it always was. Genera...

Capitalism is a function of money - the economy. It’s all about serving other people. What you can trade, what you can offer or sell, what problem you can solve for a certain price. As a society, we put a lot of focus on the consumer side - or “consumerism” - of capitalism. The never ending cycle of making money and spending money. And it impacts us direct in one way or another, whether you are bu...

After multiple, back-to-back surgeries, Mauricio was in the hospital for 5 weeks. But he had a law firm to run, and was working out of his laptop in his hospital bed. This proved to be unsustainable and unhealthy.  But far too often, entrepreneurs think of their own abilities as the only way to get something done. When it comes to business, that's a fast-track to burnout and declining mental...

The Fed announced several rate drops that could possibly happen in 2024, quite the surprise since they hiked rates dramatically to fight inflation not so long ago. What does this mean for the American Economy? In this episode, we will discuss the ramifications of these interest rate changes, updates to the monetary policy, the aftermath of the years of high inflation (things aren't getting cheaper...

Selling health insurance is not glamourous by any means. But that' what my dad and I did for years and years. It felt great for a while. My success and income was based on how much I sold. It felt like I was my own boss.   But I got stuck on this treadmill. Eventually, I wanted to grow faster, and faster. I got greedy and prideful. Wanting more isn't inherently bad, but when it surpasses...

Housing prices are up. Food prices are up. Everything is up, and life can seem bleak. But just how bad is the American economy doing, really?   As we know, news headlines about recessions and high interest rates can cause a lot of stress and worry. But the mainstream news reports don't always reflect reality. In today's episode, we cover the hard truth about the housing market, the economy as...

Companies are hurting right now. The market is TERRIBLE for investors and business sharks alike. But the truth is, "you don't know who's swimming naked until the tide goes out" - Warren Buffett.   But the United States remains a top choice for investors even during tumultuous times. It's legal structures and consumer laws still are lucrative for many. Let's talk about why bad markets are actu...

Financial freedom is a matter of creating an income that can support your lifestyle without consuming all of your time. For most people, financial freedom seems unattainable because of how jobs are set up. The 9 to 5. Research suggests that over 85% of all entrepreneurs (the successful ones) would be paid MORE if they took a 9 to 5 job versus doing it on their own. This is why jobs still exist des...

News flash: you won't get financial freedom by buying a house. There, I said it. It's the harsh truth.   You might be able to with 20 or 30 properties, but then who's going to manage it for you? Are you making enough to hire a property manager? Can you keep up if you don't? I learned this truth the hard way. The job I wanted to quit, the business I wanted to start, the real estate I wanted to...

Real estate is more expensive than ever, and the Fed's efforts to bring down inflation are hurting the very people they said they would help: the middle class.  Your average home sale price has been astronomical for the past few years, with the new interest rate hikes creating even more of an affordability crisis. It's only a matter of time before it affects the commercial real estate space t...

Want to take advantage of todays market conditions with us? Invest in our opportunistic Fund 2 Here:  https://cedar.cc/invest   In this episode, we're discussing the myth of being "self-made." Are there any successful people that got there completely on their own?  We're diving into the behind-the-scenes of the business world, using my portfolio and company structure as an example....

Chris Voss is a former Lead FBI Negotiator and dynamic speaker who debunks the biggest myths of negotiation. And he has been seen on Forbes, Time, CNN, Fox News, and more, and is author of Never Split The Difference©. One of his golden rules for negotiation is: "Thou shalt not envision only one outcome." This is true for your personal life, career, and hostage negotiation. Tune in for more lessons...

Within any organization, leadership is essential to a functioning team. Sometimes, changing how a leader leads their team is required to achieve success. But change hurts. Change is uncomfortable. Change is subjective. Politicians are a prime example of what NOT to do. They make promises that they don't follow through with. They enact policies that their constituents do not support.  How...

China is one of only major world powers that has somehow integrated communism and capitalism - two ideas traditionally thought to be incompatible, even the antithesis of each other. Their economy can truly be considered a modern marvel, having grown exponentially over the course of just 50 years.  But it's not all good: their economy has fluctuations like all others. And with unlimited power...

On Wednesday, 9/20/23, the Federal Reserve decided to hold rates steady while indicating expectations of one more hike before the end of the year. Although we are seeing a steadying of inflation, it still continues to grow. I invited my friend, J Scott, who is a fellow podcaster, author, and real estate investor, to join us and explain what this means for the future of real estate, investing, and...

Risk is one of the fundamental factors in creating a successful business. I change a lot and I'm willing to lose money to move my industry forward. What happens if you create something that is not accepted by the market? When investing, I look for proven and measurable assets, not risking for the sake of change.  What are some of the unique factors here in the US that help/harm entrepren...

Devon Kennard's successful NFL career have him an unique perspective about money: he was now the stereotypical athlete that made a lot of money and had the ability to spend it in an instant. But he refused to take part in this stereotype. He was determined to invest his money, and then use the passive income on the things he wanted.  He wanted to KEEP the money he made. "Be careful tryin...

Starting out in real estate can be daunting. One of the first steps is to choose a market you want to invest in. There are many Midwestern, midsized markets that are being affected by higher interest rates. How will it react? Date the rate, marry the house - this is Craig Curelop's strategy, which he has used to acquire over 100 deals in his first year, now at approximately $100M+ in deals per yea...

Investing opportunities are everywhere in the US. There is so much access to monetary and other support systems - and the opportunity might not be here for long.  Today we're talking with Alfonso Cuadra, who is an immigrant, international investor and asset owner. We're outlining some of the different challenges and differences between North American countries and others abroad. The sacrifice...