Uncontested Investing

Nate Zielinski and Suzanne Andresen wrap up their series on scaling and company culture by discussing how real estate investors can build teams that support long-term growth. They cover hiring for character before skill, building structured interview and onboarding processes, continuously recruiting talent, and creating an employer brand that attracts strong candidates. Nate and Suzanne also discuss retention, compensation, recognition, professional development, leadership pipelines, and giving employees room to make decisions. They close by emphasizing that successful CEOs build people they can trust and create opportunities for employees to grow.Key Points From This Episode:[00:00:32] Building a team that can scale a real estate business[00:01:17] Why people and culture can drive growth more effectively than simply making more money[00:02:00] Shifting from evaluating deals to evaluating talent as an investor becomes a CEO[00:02:35] How bad hires hurt morale, productivity, customer experience, and culture[00:03:20] How employee negativity can eventually affect customers and company reputation[00:04:24] Avoiding reactive hiring when growth moves too quickly[00:05:43] Getting second opinions during interviews and evaluating cultural fit[00:06:05] Common hiring mistakes, including focusing only on experience and setting unclear expectations[00:07:22] Hiring for character before skill and identifying qualities that are hard to teach[00:08:55] Using situational interview questions to see how candidates respond under pressure[00:09:58] Using multiple interviews to test consistency in a candidate's answers[00:10:26] Why strong organizations continuously recruit, even when not actively hiring[00:11:23] How employer branding and strong employees attract better candidates[00:12:34] Creating a structured and repeatable interview process[00:14:16] Evaluating leadership potential and long-term career goals[00:15:45] Why honest answers beat candidates saying what leaders want to hear[00:16:28] Defining what day one, week one, and month one should look like for new hires[00:19:41] Training resources that let employees learn without the pressure of live execution[00:20:51] Building trust through transparency, meaningful work, and connection to the mission[00:22:25] Why culture and quality of life can matter as much as compensation[00:24:37] Using recognition and professional development to retain high performers[00:26:40] Giving employees enough responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the company[00:27:37] Creating visible career paths and a pipeline of future leadership[00:29:23] Keeping top performers involved in conversations about company growth[00:30:16] Retention challenges: burnout, communication gaps, unclear career paths, and cultural drift[00:31:53] Learning from employees on the ground and improving the company from the bottom up[00:32:37] Why successful CEOs learn they do not need to control everythingQuotables"Skills are something that can be taught, but the attitude is harder to change." - Nate Zielinski [00:07:22]"Employees stay where they feel valued." - Suzanne Andresen [00:20:19]"I don't need to control everything. I don't need to do everything. If I hire the right people and I build the right culture, the rest just happens naturally." - Nate Zielinski [00:32:37]LinksQuestions about the episode: [email protected] INK: https://rei-ink.com/REI INK Magazine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rei-ink-magazineRCN Capital: https://www.rcncapital.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/[email protected]

Nate Zielinski and Suzanne Andresen discuss how company culture and scaling need to develop together as real estate investors grow into CEOs. They explain how rapid hiring can strain communication, onboarding, accountability, and alignment, especially as teams add managers and departments. They close by emphasizing that leaders must model company values and build teams that strengthen the culture as the organization grows.Key Points From This Episode[00:00:00] Why company culture and scaling need to grow together[00:01:21] Keeping culture foundational as revenue increases[00:02:07] Using growth to support hiring, onboarding, and cultural training[00:02:55] How rapid scaling can fragment communication across a growing team[00:03:53] The shift from working directly with a team to managing through department leaders[00:04:23] How departments can develop separate subcultures when leadership becomes disconnected[00:05:02] Warning signs of scaling too quickly, including turnover, conflict, reduced engagement, and declining accountability[00:05:58] Scaling at the rate that best serves the company instead of following outside pressure[00:06:38] Why growth reveals existing weaknesses in culture[00:07:08] How larger teams expose unclear expectations, weak leadership, and undefined values[00:08:44] Maintaining alignment as headcount increases and evaluating cultural fit during hiring[00:09:32] Why CEOs need to thoroughly vet hiring decisions and take responsibility for company direction[00:10:05] Maintaining clarity around the company vision, mission, and core values[00:10:39] Preparing strategic priorities, training plans, and employee responsibilities before hiring[00:11:23] Giving managers room to develop their own approach while supporting company goals[00:12:36] Assessing current employees and long-term alignment before beginning a major scaling push[00:13:18] Knowing when promoting from within works and when an outside manager may be necessary[00:15:08] Using meetings, scorecards, leadership sessions, goal setting, and consistent messaging to reinforce alignment[00:16:40] Building hiring systems that evaluate values alongside skills[00:17:39] Using onboarding to teach company history, expectations, mission, and accountability[00:18:48] Evaluating cultural contribution alongside employee performance[00:19:32] Using performance evaluations and improvement plans before termination[00:20:11] Recognizing and promoting employees who embody company values[00:21:05] Recognizing contributions from employees at every level of the organization[00:21:30] Repeating the company vision, mission, and core values consistently[00:23:14] Creating memorable ways to introduce new hires to the company culture[00:24:10] Communicating where the company is going, why growth matters, and what success looks like[00:24:55] Helping employees understand how their individual roles support the larger mission[00:27:51] Making company values a standard for every new hire[00:29:43] Developing leaders who multiply the culture as the organization grows[00:30:19] Why culture and scaling must continue developing togetherQuotables “And jumping off the cliff too soon is harmful. And again, you could lose the company or some of your key employees. And neither one of those are really where you want to take it.” — Suzanne Andresen [00:06:38]“Consistency is going to win the day every day and it certainly helps a CEO. It can be a CEO's best friend.” — Nate Zielinski [00:15:08]“Coaching is something that they should look into. They should talk to their mentors. They should be open to the idea of being coached.” — Nate Zielinski [00:26:39]LinksQuestions about the episode: [email protected] REI INK: https://rei-ink.com/REI INK Magazine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rei-ink-magazine RCN Capital:https://www.rcncapital.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/[email protected] 

In this episode of Uncontested Investing, Nate Zielinski and Suzanne Andresen discuss how company culture can become a competitive advantage as investors grow and scale their businesses. They examine how shared values influence decision-making, accountability, communication, hiring, customer experience, and profitability. Key Points From This Episode[00:00:00] Defining company culture as how people behave when leadership is not in the room[00:01:04] Shared beliefs, standards, expectations, and culture as a recruiting advantage[00:01:44] How culture influences decision-making, communication, accountability, customer experience, and performance[00:02:45] Why every company develops a culture, intentionally or accidentally[00:03:28] Culture as a competitive advantage competitors cannot easily replicate[00:03:57] Creating consistency, cohesion, and faster execution through a strong culture[00:05:23] Establishing clear expectations and boundaries from the beginning[00:05:51] Building a culture where employees help one another succeed[00:06:39] Using collaboration and peer learning to improve team performance[00:07:20] The connection between company culture and profitability[00:08:04] How lower turnover, higher productivity, referrals, and client retention affect profitability[00:09:22] Creating better customer experiences through a values-driven organization[00:10:33] How culture shapes tenant service and problem-solving within real estate operations[00:11:22] Why company culture starts with leadership[00:12:22] Leading through actions rather than relying only on stated core values[00:13:27] Leadership mistakes that can undermine accountability, teamwork, and integrity[00:14:34] Creating fair and consistent policies for retaining top talent[00:15:18] Providing employees with purpose, growth opportunities, recognition, and clear leadership[00:16:06] Why top candidates evaluate company leadership and culture during the hiring process[00:17:20] Recognizing departments and support teams beyond top sales performers[00:18:13] The importance of every employee in shaping a customer or candidate’s first impression[00:18:52] How company culture reveals itself during difficult market conditions[00:19:39] Preparing teams and staffing levels for potential market downturns[00:20:35] Addressing challenges openly to prevent uncertainty and discontent[00:21:02] Building employee trust through transparency and a clear plan[00:21:28] Creating lasting culture through core values, recognition, and accountability[00:22:39] Celebrating employee wins publicly[00:23:30] Encouraging employee feedback and open communication[00:24:22] Developing internal leaders who already understand the company culture[00:25:21] Using core values throughout hiring, meetings, and performance reviews[00:27:14] Recognizing employees who consistently exemplify company values[00:28:00] Why building culture requires consistent effort over time[00:28:22] Establishing the desired culture early and hiring people who support itQuotables“Yeah, and I think it kind of goes hand in hand with consistency, but what culture can create is cohesiveness, right? It's everybody working towards the same goal.” — Nate Zielinski [00:05:51]"The sooner you get that trust established, the more business they’re going to do with you." — Suzanne Andresen [00:10:15] “Employees appreciate the trust and the transparency. And that's one of the ways where you don't really have a choice. Things are bad. Let's just be honest about it. Let's get it all on the table. But here's the plan.” — Nate Zielinski [00:21:02]LinksQuestions about the episode: [email protected] REI INK: https://rei-ink.com/REI INK Magazine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rei-ink-magazine RCN Capital:https://www.rcncapital.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/[email protected] 

In this episode of Uncontested Investing, Nate Zielinski and Suzanne Andresen build on their conversation with RCN Capital CEO Jeff Tesh to examine what real estate investors should have in place before scaling a business. Key Points From This Episode[00:01:08] Growing to meet an established need instead of spending in anticipation of growth[00:02:45] Managing staff capacity and bottlenecks before adding more employees[00:03:09] Building systems and documenting repeatable processes before expanding the team[00:04:19] Using standard operating procedures and automation to make responsibilities easier to teach and delegate[00:05:14] Identifying key early hires, including virtual assistants, administrative coordinators, transaction coordinators, and acquisition managers[00:06:00] Using fractional executives and other fractional roles to bridge staffing needs during growth[00:06:39] Hiring for attitude, collaboration, and alignment with the company’s mission[00:07:57] Measuring the financial and long-term return on new team members before continuing to hire[00:10:28] Choosing affordable lead sources that work for the business before expanding marketing spend[00:11:05] Tracking marketing performance to understand where to reinvest[00:11:38] Establishing KPIs and scorecards for leads, appointments, contracts, conversion rates, deal size, and marketing ROI[00:13:29] Setting job expectations clearly at the beginning of the employer-employee relationship[00:14:11] Using measurable goals to create accountability during the early stages of scaling[00:14:47] Creating incentives that reward employees for exceeding performance expectations[00:15:13] Identifying and focusing on the KPIs that have the greatest impact on the business[00:15:48] Learning to delegate, transition from operator to leader, and avoid micromanagement[00:16:49] Recognizing when remaining a solo investor may be a better fit than building a larger company[00:17:36] Setting realistic benchmarks when transferring responsibilities to new team members[00:18:11] Using manageable performance goals to help new hires develop over time[00:19:10] Assessing opportunities and maintaining consistency when expanding into new geographic markets[00:20:38] Diversifying markets and asset types while considering local staffing and property-management needs[00:21:30] Scaling through leadership by developing trusted people who can help grow the organization[00:22:11] Demonstrating a proven business model before seeking outside capital[00:22:39] Building accountability, ownership, communication, and shared vision as the company grows[00:24:01] Including different parts of the organization when developing company core values[00:24:18] Hiring people who bring stronger skills, new ideas, and different perspectives into the business[00:25:25] Making the shift from a competitive individual investor mindset to leading a team of talented people[00:26:06] Nate and Suzanne recap the factors investors should consider before deciding they are ready to scaleQuotables “You want to make sure that the people that you’re bringing in, they fit with your whole (I’ll say) family….” - Suzanne Andresen [00:06:52] “You need to have multiple sources and you need to have them delivering consistently.” Nate Zielinski [00:10:06]“Yeah, and I think, specifically in this industry for investors looking to scale, one of the traits that they should be looking for is accountability.” - Nate Zielinski [00:14:10] “And Jeff talked also when you’re doing your core values - you want people from every walk of life in a company…” - Suzanne Andresen [00:24:00]LinksQuestions about the episode: [email protected] REI INK: https://rei-ink.com/REI INK Magazine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rei-ink-magazine RCN Capital:https://www.rcncapital.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/[email protected] 

Jeffrey Tesch, CEO of RCN Capital, joins Nate Zielinski and Suzanne Andresen to discuss his path into real estate investing and the principles that shaped RCN Capital's growth. Jeffrey explains why the company focused on profitability from the beginning, how empowering employees has helped create a strong company culture, and why hiring people smarter than yourself can strengthen an organization. He also reflects on launching RCN during the aftermath of the financial crisis, adapting through COVID, the expansion of private lending, developing employee-led core values, and the importance of industry collaboration. Jeffrey also shares how family and time away from work help him recharge. Key Talking Points of the Episode [00:00:00] Jeffrey Tesch's introduction to real estate investing through a college course[00:02:10] Moving from Subway ownership into investment properties[00:03:25] Growing RCN Capital around profitability instead of rushing to scale[00:05:11] Defining company culture through employee empowerment and career growth[00:06:53] Balancing company growth with opportunities for existing employees[00:07:40] How RCN Capital adapted from fix-and-flip lending into rental financing[00:09:09] Launching RCN Capital during the aftermath of the financial crisis despite industry skepticism[00:10:55] Why celebrating collective company wins and employee contributions matters[00:12:50] Measuring trade show participation through specific goals, KPIs, and ROI[00:13:31] Funding RCN Capital's early loans with owner equity and the evolution of private lending capital[00:14:34] How RCN Capital handled COVID by retaining and repurposing its team[00:15:53] Jeffrey's leadership philosophy of hiring people smarter than yourself and empowering them[00:17:22] Learning from industry peers and the value of sharing best practices[00:19:08] Collaboration through the National Private Lenders Association[00:20:15] Creating RCN Capital's core values through a bottom-up, employee-led process[00:21:59] Using speaking engagements and industry events as opportunities to learn and contribute[00:23:53] Continuing to seek feedback after speaking engagements[00:25:44] How family time helps Jeffrey recharge outside of work[00:26:42] The rescue farm at RCN Capital's office and its role as a positive break for employees Quotables "Culture has always been about empowering the employee to be the best version of themselves." — Jeffrey Tesch [00:05:11]"The mantra amongst the managers is always hire somebody smarter than yourself." — Jeffrey Tesch [00:16:02]"By giving freely of yourself to others, that rising tide really does lift all ships." — Jeffrey Tesch [00:18:26] Links RCN Capitalhttps://www.rcncapital.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/[email protected] INKhttps://rei-ink.com/