Brick by Brick - Wealth Building Conversations

Most real estate investors chase the deal. Will Harvey chased the lesson — and eventually followed it all the way out of operations and into running a fund.   In this episode of Brick by Brick, Loren sits down with Will Harvey III, founder of Harvey Capital Funding, a Richmond, VA-based hard money lending operation. Will’s path is anything but straight: a college dropout, a recovering mortgage ori...

Are you tired of the relentless grind, sacrificing precious family time for fleeting wealth? Joey Mure reveals the bold truth about escaping the 9-5 trap, building genuine passive income streams, and redefining what retirement really means. This episode is your wake-up call to take control of your financial destiny and live with purpose and freedom. In this episode: Why active income doesn't equal...

What if the real forces moving real estate had nothing to do with interest rates? In this episode, we sit down with Ari Rastegar — founder of Rastegar Capital , WSJ/USA Today bestselling author of The Gift of Failure , and one of the most contrarian voices in Texas real estate — for a conversation that cuts through the noise and gets to what actually drives markets: human behavior. Ari breaks down...

The conversation covers the transition from real estate to tax liens, the risks and opportunities in tax liens, and the differences between tax liens and tax deeds. It also delves into the process of tax liens and tax deeds, including the auction platforms and the risks involved. The conversation covers the distinction between tax lien and tax deed, the transition from tax lien to tax deed, the ta...

Summary In this engaging episode of Brick by Brick, Loren Wernette hosts marketing expert John Dwyer, known for his innovative direct marketing strategies and his collaboration with Jerry Seinfeld. They discuss the evolution of marketing from traditional methods to modern digital strategies, emphasizing the importance of direct response marketing. John shares insights on creating impactful marketi...

Summary In this episode of Brick by Brick, host Loren Wernette interviews Tim Street, a former Marine turned real estate entrepreneur. Tim shares his journey from the Marines to starting tech companies and eventually moving into real estate. He discusses the challenges and successes he faced along the way, including his transition to real estate investing and his current focus on helping others th...

Episode Summary In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , host Loren Wernette sits down with BETTER , a Triangle-based real estate firm focused on investment analysis and residential infill development . The conversation explores BETTER’s journey into real estate and their strategic evolution from traditional fix-and-flip and fix-to-rent models into new construction, infill...

In this episode of Brick by Brick , Loren Wernette sits down with Rebecca Irey , the founder and CEO of Blue Skye Financial , to talk about the new rules of money, retirement, and financial independence. Rebecca shares her personal journey—from growing up on a ranch to building a national financial planning firm—and how that shaped her belief that the American Dream isn’t broken… most people just...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , Loren Wernette sits down with Garrett Maroon — founder of the 2:10 Collective , host of The Faithful Agent Podcast , and author of The Balanced Breakthrough . Garrett built a seven-figure real estate business entirely by referral, then intentionally restructured his life to protect his faith, marriage, and time with his kids. Today,...

Episode: The Power of Open Banking in Today’s Economy Guest: Peter Maher — CEO of Ovanti USA & Founder of Flote In this episode, I sit down with Peter Maher to break down one of the most impactful shifts happening in today’s financial landscape: open banking —and how it’s completely reshaping the way lenders understand financial health. Peter leads Ovanti’s U.S. division and is the founder of...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , I sit down with Hugh Massie — Founder & Executive Chairman of DNA Behavior International and Chairman of the Behavioral Economics Institute. Hugh has spent more than a decade helping leaders, investors, and organizations make better, faster financial decisions by understanding the behavioral patterns that drive money. We get int...

Dave Seymour—once a broke firefighter—rebuilt his life through real estate, becoming the star of A&E’s Flipping Boston and the founder of Freedom Venture Investments . In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , Dave shares how he went from struggling to make ends meet to managing multimillion-dollar commercial and development deals. His mantra, “Educate, don’t speculate—...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , Loren sits down with Caleb Christopher , founder of Creative TC , a firm that specializes in managing nontraditional real estate transactions — from creative finance structures and seller-financing to title and escrow services. Caleb opens up about the moment in 2024 when his business nearly collapsed , and the mindset shifts, leade...

Episode: Building Wealth Without Borders: Global Investing & Tax Freedom Podcast: Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations Host: Loren Wernette Guest: Mikkel Thorup, Founder & CEO of Expat Money® Summary: If you could design a life without borders—where would you live, and how would you invest? This week, Loren sits down with Mikkel Thorup , Founder & CEO of Expat Money® , to discu...

Are you struggling to find consistent real estate deals? Wondering how to scale your investing business without spending a fortune on direct-to-seller marketing? In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , I talk with Matthew Carrigan, founder of REI Cornerstone , about one of the most effective strategies in today’s market: agent outreach . Matthew shares his “earned and lea...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , I sit down with Sam Primm , co-founder of FasterFreedom and one of the most recognized educators in real estate today. Sam has built a multi-million-dollar portfolio without relying on his own capital, using creative financing strategies like the BRRRR method and other leverage-based approaches. We cover how Sam: Turned debt into a...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , Loren sits down with Neil Twa , CEO & Co-Founder of Voltage Holdings and host of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast . Neil walked away from a successful career at IBM in 2007 to pursue e-commerce full-time. Over the past 17 years, he has helped build brands that have generated $100M+ in collective Amazon FBA and omni-cha...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , I sit down with KC Chohan , Founder of Together CFO, to uncover how elite wealth strategies—like private foundations, complex trusts, and donor-advised funds—aren’t just for billionaires. KC shares his journey from traditional CFO roles into creating a Beverly Hills–based firm that helps 7-figure entrepreneurs and family offices leg...

In this episode of Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations , Loren Wernette sits down with Kelli Garrett , a powerhouse entrepreneur and founding partner of Rehab Wallet , Consistent Capital , and Aspire Finance . Kelli’s story begins on a farm, where she learned grit and work ethic early. She went on to become a four-time All-American basketball player at the College of Charleston, with her...

Guest: Mike Otranto – Author, Real Estate Investor, Entrepreneur, Founder of Wake County Home Buyers Episode: Brick by Brick Wealth Building Conversations Host: Loren Wernette In this episode, Mike Otranto reveals how he’s blended the precision of digital marketing with the profitability of real estate investing. From his book Houseflow Formula: A High-Tech Path to Financial Freedom Through Real E...

Episode: Brick by Brick Wealth-Building Conversations Guest: Steve Csobaji, CISP – Senior Sales Executive / Business Development Manager, Inspira Financial Host: Loren Wernette Why self-directed IRAs (SDIRAs) matter now — and how they differ from traditional retirement accounts Real-world assets in tax-advantaged accounts: real estate, oil & gas, venture capital, and more The Quest Trust → Ins...

In this episode of Brick by Brick: Wealth-Building Conversations , we dig deep into the world of land development with builder, developer, and systems expert Blake Anderson , founder of Envision Investor Solutions. With over 20 years in construction and 17 as a licensed general contractor, Blake shares the real side of land development—from rookie mistakes and costly missteps to the proven process...

In this powerful episode of Brick by Brick: Wealth Building Conversations , host Loren Wernette sits down with Michael "Mike" Russell —a real estate broker turned nonprofit founder—to explore how one man's financial collapse sparked a mission to rescue others from foreclosure. Mike shares his journey from the top of the real estate game to losing it all—bankruptcy, divorce, foreclosure—and how he...

In this episode of Brick by Brick: Wealth Building Conversations , we sit down with entrepreneur, content creator, and private lender Bryce Matheson . Bryce takes us behind the scenes of his journey from software exits to building two powerful fintech and lending businesses— Holbrook Capital and Lendr . We explore how he leveraged YouTube and Instagram to drive investor leads, what it really took...

Failure isn’t the end—it’s the raw material of success. In this solo episode, Loren breaks down the 5 biggest myths people believe about failure, and how these beliefs are quietly sabotaging your ability to grow, pivot, and ultimately win. From stories of baseball legends and business experiments to real estate deals gone sideways, Loren shares personal insights and hard-won lessons to reshape how...