Dream Start Own Podcast - The Path to Own Your Time

AI is a giant tsunami. You can get swept under it or you can learn to surf. In Part 2 with Owen Mecham we get tactical on how AI agents actually buy back your time as an entrepreneur, and how everyday business owners can start today. What we cover: How Owen and his wife Mary built My Business Genie AI to make automation simple for regular business owners Using AI agents to underwrite real estate d...

Owen Mecham spent 24 years building tech systems at Carvana. Then a milkshake triggered the most painful condition known to medicine — both types at once, a 1-in-10 million diagnosis — and for almost two years, doctors had no answers. What he built on the other side of two brain surgeries at Stanford is now helping kids do what no one taught him as a child: train the mind before it breaks. How los...

What if you could apply the same creative finance strategies you use in real estate to buy or sell a car with no bank involved? Mike Davis Jr. figured it out. He's the founder of Top Wheels, the nation's leading TC company for creative vehicle deals, creator of the Sellify marketplace and the AIOS Blueprint AI operating system. This episode covers vehicle creative finance and how AI agents...

Most investors walk when a deal gets complicated. Vincent Lanza walks toward it. Known as Uncle Lanza in Pace Morby's Subto community, Vincent has been doing creative finance deals in one of the hardest real estate markets in the country since 2019. In this episode he breaks down how he structures hybrid deals others can't touch, handles sellers who pass away mid-close and mentors complete...

What if your next rental property paid three times the cash flow and changed someone's life at the same time? Jim Boad went from watching 18 of his 20 properties stop paying rent during COVID to running 14 sober living homes with 12 more on the way in a town of just 11,000 people. He breaks down the full business model and what it really takes to get started. What we cover: How one property we...

What does a $20M sales organization, a private school and a co-living portfolio in Phoenix have in common? Karl Larsen built all three. In this episode, Karl breaks down how he transitioned from 15 years in Herbalife to solving the housing affordability crisis one co-living property at a time — and why rent by the room is the most underrated cash flow strategy in real estate right now. What we cov...

What if your real estate portfolio could build wealth and change lives at the same time? Jennifer Breitbach, real estate operator and transformative ecosystem builder, acquires co-living and boarding house properties to create affordable housing for people coming out of rehab, prison and other underserved situations. This episode is for every investor who wants their portfolio to mean something. W...

Most homeowners don't read their insurance policy until it's too late — and insurance companies count on it. Glenis Romero Hargreaves, a senior public insurance adjuster with nearly 40 years of experience, helps fire survivors collect what they're actually owed — not just what the insurance company volunteers to pay. This conversation is practical, personal, and powerful for every prop...

What if your next hire didn't need a salary, benefits, or a Slack account? Raz Mihalyi, fractional AI partner and CTO at AZ Labs, breaks down how business owners are using AI agents to eliminate manual busy work, automate lead generation, and buy back their time — without adding headcount. Whether you've never touched an AI tool or you're already tinkering, this episode makes it practi...

What does it actually cost to learn real estate the hard way — and what can you build after? Jose Cortes, 22-year Air Force veteran turned real estate investor and private lender, gets brutally honest about losing $400K across three fix and flip projects, winning an 18-month court battle, and coming out the other side buying a $500K home in Texas for just $9K using subject-to creative finance. Wha...

What if the best city in the world for lifestyle and real estate appreciation was 3 hours from the Texas border — and most Americans don't know they can own it outright? Greg Gunter, broker owner at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in San Miguel de Allende, breaks down how US and Canadian buyers are safely investing in one of Mexico's most sought-after markets. What we cover: Fee simple ow...

What if you never had to discount again — and still crushed your competition? That's exactly the philosophy behind today's guest, John Dwyer, founder of the Institute of WOW and the marketer who convinced Jerry Seinfeld to become the face of a regional bank. In this episode, John breaks down his proven framework for incentive-based, direct response marketing that gets results fast — no pri...

If your marketing feels busy but not profitable, this episode will help you slow down, get clear, and build a strategy that actually drives revenue. Mike Davis breaks down why most businesses do too many tactics too early and what to fix first. What we cover: Why tactics without strategy create chaos How to connect marketing actions to actual revenue The difference between being busy and being eff...

What happens when your kid says, “I miss you,” and you decide you’re done with life on the road? Eric Richards shares how he left a high-paying union job to build a real estate business rooted in ethics, reputation, and real solutions for buyers who need a path to ownership. What we cover: The moment that triggered Eric’s “all gas, no brakes” shift Why rent-to-own gets a bad name—and how to struct...

If you’ve ever wondered how investors buy distressed houses ethically and turn rough properties into safe homes and thriving neighborhoods, this episode is for you. Kevin Dairaghi breaks down the systems, mindset, and team-building behind RestoreSTL. What we cover: The “dream, forge, finish” framework (and why half-finished bridges fail) Doing 8 acquisitions/month with a team—and avoiding burnout...

What does it actually take to build (and turn around) RV parks—while keeping the “people” side of the business front and center? In this episode, Mychele Bisson shares the real mechanics behind outdoor hospitality and how she’s turning personal loss into a mission-driven portfolio. What we cover: Mychele’s “Turning Loss Into Purpose” mission for families facing heart transplants How she negotiated...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with Benjamin Huang—a former biomedical engineer/scientist who went from W2 life (Harvard Medical School + reporting to the White House) to buying cash-flowing businesses using creative structures, partnerships, and relationship-first dealmaking. Benjamin breaks down how he underwrote 162 businesses before buyi...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with Hung Mai from VIP Casa Rentals to break down why Airbnb/STR success isn’t luck—it’s systems, SOPs, and revenue management. Hung shares how he got proof-of-concept starting with arbitrage, scaled to 17–18 properties under management across multiple states, and why most hosts leave thousands on the table by...

Buy a Home Without a Bank | Iva Norris on WeHome500, Wraps (Subject-To) & Creative Finance Description In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with Iva Norris, creator of WeHome500, a mission to help 500 families buy a home by “being the bank”—especially buyers who don’t qualify for traditional loans. Iva breaks down how her team finds homes (mos...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with Army veteran and investor Rachel Davis to unpack why so many service members struggle after they separate—and how housing, community, and the right “entitlements” can change everything. Rachel breaks down the VA disability conversation most vets avoid, why VA benefits aren’t “handouts,” and how to use your...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with founder, investor, and Thrive Banking strategist Teresa Villaruz to break down how to “earn like a bank” using infinite banking, cash value life insurance, and private lending—without risking your own money. Teresa shares how a stage of invasive breast cancer and $275,000+ in medical bills almost forced he...

In this special episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado answers the big question: “Is Subto worth it?” by letting actual Subto, Gator, and Owners Club members share their own stories—how the community helped them close their first creative deals, find accountability partners, and get into rooms they never thought they’d be in. Instead of hype, you’ll hear real clips f...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with former top-producing agent and investor Tim Street to expose the truth sellers never hear about realtor fees, for sale by owner (FSBO), and what really determines the value of your home. Tim breaks down why 90% of FSBO attempts fail and why the “successful” ones still make about 11% less than agent-listed...

Money Is Just a Tool | Badass Lender Jenn Billet on Credit, Creative Loans & Land Deals In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with licensed lender and investor Jennifer “Badass Boss Jenn” Billet to talk money mindset, fixing credit fast, creative loans for self-employed borrowers, and why “money only has the power you give it.” Jenn shares how...

In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with veteran investor and closer Derby Perez to unpack how mindset, visualization, and the right rooms took him from hustling in real estate since 1985 to 300+ fix and flips, 1,800 home sales, 89 rentals, and big commercial deals—including a historic $11M hotel project. Derby shares how he used goal-setting, jo...