🎲 What happens when you stop playing not to lose—and start betting on yourself?

From poker prodigy ♠️ to $50 million real estate mogul 🏢, Pasha Esfandiary has mastered the art of betting on himself — and winning big 💥.

In this unforgettable episode of EQ U, Pasha opens up about growing up without a mother 💔, being raised by a hardworking Iranian immigrant father 👨‍👦, and how a single declaration at ChoiceCenter during his LV122 EQ Leadership training in 2012 🎓 changed the trajectory of his entire life. He shares the emotional journey behind flipping his first home 🛠️, raising his first $700K 💸 , and how he's scaled Evoke Capital into a $50M investment firm 📈 built on heart, trust, and EQ 💙.

He’s also the author of Raising the Stakes 📘—a bold new book blending poker strategy ♣️ with emotional intelligence, business insight, and personal transformation 🔥. The book is already an Amazon Bestseller 🥇 ahead of its official release on April 22 📅.

But Pasha’s greatest wins aren’t financial—they’re deeply personal 💞. From the way he leads his team 🤝 to how he shows up as a father to twins Zoe and Taj 👶👶, and a son to his beloved dad Bijan 🌍, this episode reveals the EQ behind the empire — and the man.

In this episode:

♠️ How poker strategy shaped his leadership and parenting

📈 The capital raise that changed everything

💡 What it takes to build trust with investors

🧭 The daily practices that keep him aligned with his vision

❤️ Why leading with love is the highest return of all

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📘 Order the book: Raising the Stakes (Amazon Bestseller!)

🎧 Listen to his podcast: Road to 100

🌐 Learn more: www.pashaesfandiary.com

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New episodes of EQ U drop every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music and ChoiceCenter.com.

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