Real Returns

In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Prath Reddy, co-founder and CEO of Percent, a private credit platform that works as both an asset manager and an electronic trading venue for institutions. Prath shares how he went from raising bonds at UBS to building Percent with a co-founder he met on AngelList, what changed when he became CEO after nearly eight years, and how he protects his time with his family. He and Andrew also get into how AI is changing the way his team builds software. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: Selling And Buying Discreetly 00:29 - Meet Prath Reddy 00:59 - What Keeps A First-Time CEO Up At Night 01:55 - Staying Present As A Founder And Dad 03:50 - Impact Across Work, Home, And Community 05:41 - From UBS To AngelList: The Origin Story 08:24 - From President To CEO 09:20 - Do, Delegate, Defer, Delete: Using AI As A Filter 11:07 - Building A New Trading Platform In Six Weeks Connect with Prath: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/prath Website: percent.com For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-returns/id1642761377 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW8J1h3xsEWLuVPzm YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCjlzrIn04Ee4iBPE7kEUBjg/ Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e7_prathreddy&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform* bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. *The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e7_prathreddy&utm_content=reiturn_raise

In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Stephanie Puryear Helling, an international keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and founder of SPH Services. After more than 20 years leading learning and development inside a global multifamily organization, Stephanie explains why the best teams are built on strengths instead of fixes, and how tools like DISC, CliftonStrengths, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team show leaders what's really happening inside their companies. She and Andrew also get into employee engagement, where AI fits in, and a new faith-inspired leadership certificate for property management. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: Building Teams Around Strengths 00:46 - Meet Stephanie Puryear Helling 02:42 - Why Assessments Matter 04:58 - CliftonStrengths: Strengths Over Weaknesses 06:49 - Building Teams With Complementary Strengths 08:14 - Seeing Culture Change Inside Organizations 11:33 - The Employee Engagement Gap 14:25 - Connecting Purpose To Daily Work 15:53 - AI And The Future Of Work 18:10 - A Faith-Inspired Leadership Certificate 20:28 - How To Reach Stephanie "Our best opportunity for performance improvement, both personally and within organizations is to focus on our strengths and actually work on honing them even more." — Stephanie Puryear Helling Connect with Stephanie: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/spuryearhelling Website: shedoesntshrink.com — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-returns/id1642761377 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tx0jOW8J1h3xsEWLuVPzm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@realreturns — Subscribe to our monthly 'Investin on Purpose' newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e6_stephaniehelling&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform* bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. *The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e6_stephaniehelling&utm_content=reiturn_raise

In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Isaac Carter, CEO of Contollo Consulting, a technology entrepreneur with more than 25 years in data architecture, software, and business transformation. Isaac explains why founders who lead with their own voice stand out in an AI-saturated market, and how free 10-minute interviews with 62 founders at DFW Startup Week doubled as market research. He and Andrew also get into why leading with value beats leading with the ask. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: Henry Ford Didn't Invent The Car 00:38 - Meet Isaac Carter 01:37 - From Staffing To Founder-Led Go-To-Market 04:29 - Does AI Content Help Or Hurt Founders 06:26 - What 62 Founders Revealed At DFW Startup Week 09:13 - How To Ask Customers The Right Questions 11:35 - Why Knowing Is More Than Half The Battle 14:29 - Why Messaging Matters More Than The Product 16:27 - Making The Customer The Hero 18:49 - Lead With Value, Not The Ask 21:42 - How To Reach Isaac "AI cannot help you feel connected. But humans can." - Isaac Carter Connect with Isaac: Website: contollo.net — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s9e5-isaac-carter-lead-the-market-dont-chase-it/id1642761377?i=1000793728080 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fE2P8YTPPbaw5mxQm3A6A?si=4LTj78czQhOb_CkCbvSS3Q — Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e5_isaaccarter&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform* bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. *The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e5_isaaccarter&utm_content=reiturn_raise

In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Vicky Schiff, CEO and founder of Avrio Clean Fund and a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded six firms over three decades in real estate. Vicki breaks down how private credit actually works, from senior loans and stretch senior proceeds to the debt yield math lenders use to protect their basis. She and Andrew also dig into why the recent private credit "exodus" headlines are mostly a corporate credit story, how construction cost overruns and rate hikes have squeezed multifamily borrowers, and how Avrio's PACE financing ties sustainability improvements to better loan economics.   Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open: When A Loan Goes Underwater 00:48 - Welcome And Meet Vicki Schiff 02:40 - What Private Credit Actually Is 05:02 - Senior Loans, Stretch Senior, And Mezzanine 06:30 - Loan To Cost, Loan To Value, And Debt Yield Explained 09:24 - Why Borrowers Choose Private Credit Over A Bank 13:38 - The Private Credit "Exodus" Headlines, Explained 15:57 - How Construction Costs And Rate Hikes Sink A Deal 18:21 - Where The Opportunity Is Now 21:08 - PACE Financing And The Double Bottom Line 24:55 - How To Connect With Vicky - "Somebody makes a loan to build a multifamily asset. That multifamily asset is supposed to be worth that $120 million that I just mentioned to you. But when it's built, it's worth 90, and it didn't cost 100, it cost 110, because construction costs went up." — Vicki Schiff Connect with Vicky: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-schiff-46b6361b Avrio CleanFund: https://www.avrio-cleanfund.com/ - For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s9e4-vicky-schiff-private-credit-and-loan-to-cost-investing/id1642761377?i=1000792460825 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ewFDu5pBg1VgdSCoulWOb?si=pCj3QMtSQ-iwd3KebFnDZA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0leuW-VglFE — Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Invest alongside our team with Birgo Heartland Multifamily Fund V, targeting resilient Midwest workforce housing markets: https://birgo.com/fundv?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_vickyschiff&utm_content=fund_v Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform* bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. *The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_vickyschiff&utm_content=reiturn_raise

In this episode of Real Returns, Andrew sits down with Joe Cardosi, Founder and CEO of Free Market Health, a healthcare technology company that connects patients to the specialty pharmacies equipped to treat their most complex diagnoses. Joe breaks down why a tiny slice of patients, those on specialty drugs for conditions like cancer or cystic fibrosis, drive the majority of a health plan's total drug spend, and why the system built around them is often too slow and too fragmented to serve the people it exists for. He and Andrew also get into what it actually took to build a fast-growing company and a five-kid family in the same stretch of life. "One to two percent of patients are driving 55 to 60% of a health plan's drug spend." — Joe Cardosi, Founder & CEO, Free Market Health Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joe-cardosi/ Website: freemarkethealth.com — For more insights on purposeful investing, subscribe to Real Returns on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s9e3-joe-cardosi-the-four-ps-of-specialty-pharmacy/id1642761377?i=1000791348758 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tcv3M19JzAWAQpxP1YdCd?si=uJj-dgVrT52fMyzrzgJBbQ YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6Y9dNAc-lQ — Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: http://www.realreturnspodcast.com Want to see your question answered on the show? Submit a question via our Q&A form: https://forms.gle/Fy9E6H7BTpzhGPueA — Reiturn® is Birgo's new platform bringing real estate investing to everyday investors, not just accredited ones, with a minimum for the public of $1,000. The equity crowdfunding round to own a share of the Reiturn® platform is live at https://invest.reiturn.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s9e4_joecardosi&utm_content=reiturn_raise