Chris Powers

POWERS

A Entrepreneurship , Business and Investing podcast

#59 in Entrepreneurship · 🇿🇦 #69 in Entrepreneurship · 🇺🇸

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About the show

Conversations with the best founders, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Newest episodes

Matt Chandler on Raising Kids Who Love Jesus (#436)

Nov 11, 2026 1 hr 25 min

This week Chris sits down with Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor of The Village Church outside Dallas. Chris has been listening to Matt for years, and over the last couple of years they've become friends. Matt grew up believing he was useful but not lovable, and it made him the kind of achiever our culture applauds. In 2015, more than a decade into leading The Village, he hit a wall. His marriage wasn't what he wanted it to be, he didn't like his relationship with his kids, and he knew no Bible verse was going to fix it. So the man who once called therapy pseudoscience went and got help. Matt also tells the story of his daughter, Audrey, who knew everything about her parents' faith and wanted none of it, and what Matt and his wife, Lauren, learned about loving her through it. They discuss:• Why so many men win at work and fail at home• Why another billion won't fix what's broken inside• Why most men don't really know themselves• Why his closest friends see his tax returns• What he tells his wife on the days he wakes up wrong• Why his daughter needed a dad, not a pastor• Why he told her no when she asked to come home• How his daughter found her way back to faith• Why the only way to learn to pray is to pray Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:10) Raising a Prodigal Daughter(07:12) A Teacher's Call About Smoking Pot at School(10:46) She Needs a Dad, Not a Pastor(16:27) Praying Over a Prodigal Child(20:38) Can You Love Jesus Without Conviction of Sin?(25:49) Behavior Modification Versus the Root of Sin(31:29) My Father Cannot Love Me Like I Love My Son(38:03) She Wanted to Come Home and He Said No(43:48) Audrey Moves Home and Hits Rock Bottom(50:46) How Audrey Finally Came to Faith(56:46) Why Prayer Matters and How to Start(1:05:48) Bringing Word and Spirit Together in the Church(1:11:19) Every Man Needs Life Guys(1:16:20) Why Men Win at Work and Fail at Home(1:20:51) The Conversation Most Men Never Have With Their Wives === Presented by Collateral Partners: Collateral PartnersCollat...

Building Camden: 50 Years of Apartment Cycles & What Comes Next with Ric Campo (#435)

Oct 28, 2026 1 hr 23 min

This week Chris sits down with Ric Campo, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Camden Property Trust $CPT. Ric and Keith Oden started the company in Houston in 1982 and took it public in 1993. They discuss:• How he and Keith Oden made a 45-year partnership work• What Paul Volcker told him that made him sell everything• How a dying deal in 2007 warned him the crisis was coming• Why he measures leverage by cash flow instead of value• Why he told his employees to turn off the TV in 2009• Why Camden sold California to buy back its own stock• Why he walked away from two deals when the 10-year Treasury passed 5%• Why he's bullish on rents over the next few years• Why AI at Camden has to raise revenue or cut costs Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:00) Reinventing Yourself Every Few Years Over a 50-Year Career(06:24) Working Alongside Co-Founder Keith Oden for 45 Years(12:42) How a 1985 Meeting With Paul Volcker Saved the Company(17:23) Losing a $1 Billion Loan Commitment in 2007(20:25) Creating Urgency in a Slow Industry and the California Sale(26:10) Selling California to Buy Back Stock at a Discount(31:50) The Real Advantages of Being a REIT(35:38) Why Camden Runs Low Leverage After Missing a $40 Million Trade(42:26) Leading 1,800 Employees Through the 2008 Financial Crisis(49:50) When Camden Knew It Had Survived 2008(52:53) Why This Is the Most Unusual Multifamily Market in 40 Years(56:08) Why Camden Walked Away From Deals When the 10-Year Hit 5%(1:03:11) The Case for Rent Growth Over the Next Three to Five Years(1:07:52) How Camden Measures the Return on AI(1:13:22) Using AI for Predictive Maintenance and Site Selection(1:19:18) The Hardest Part of Running Camden Today === Presented by Juniper Square: Juniper SquareJuniper Square is the operations partner for GPs in private equity, venture capital, oil and gas, real estate, and infrastructure. It brings technology, data, and administration together on one governed source of truth you own, so your team spends less time reconci...

Ross Perot Jr. on Why Texas Keeps Winning

Oct 21, 2026 1 hr 34 min

This week Chris sits down with Ross Perot Jr., Chairman of Hillwood and The Perot Group. Ross founded Hillwood in 1988 and built Alliance Texas, his masterpiece, a 1 of 1 27,000-acre development. They discuss:• Why Trammell Crow told him to just build warehouses• How Hillwood developed Alliance Texas• How a rare earth company got its air permit in three weeks• How President Bush helped close Scotiabank's move to Texas• What the 1992 campaign looked like from inside the family• The Iran War and why cheap oil prices are on the way• Why every community should want a data center• How to keep China from taking Taiwan• Why he expects markets to boom after the midterms Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:42) Why Texas Is Winning the Data Center Boom(06:20) The Facts Behind the Data Center Backlash(11:49) Why California, Illinois, and New York Are Losing to Texas(18:12) How Fort Worth Landed Elon Musk, MP Materials, and Taylor Sheridan(23:39) Building Alliance for Flying Taxis and Drone Delivery(27:47) Fighter Pilot Heroes and the First Helicopter Flight Around the World(34:29) Why EDS Left Dallas and Hillwood Became a Developer(38:31) Why the Rail Yard Matters More Than the Runway(44:51) Tariffs and How to Deal with China(50:35) Deterring a War over Taiwan by 2027(55:32) The Iran War and the Coming Oil Glut(59:10) The Case for a Post-Midterm Market Boom(1:04:34) Smart AI Regulation and the Quantum Encryption Threat(1:09:24) Buying Land After the S&L Crisis and Trammell Crow's Advice(1:12:31) Why Circle T Ranch Has Been Replanned 30 Times(1:17:43) How George W. Bush Closed the Scotiabank Deal(1:19:11) Inside the 1992 Perot Presidential Campaign(1:24:34) How Hillwood Runs as a Company of Entrepreneurs(1:32:04) Why Finding Talent Is the Hardest Part of the Business === Presented by Juniper Square: Juniper SquareJuniper Square is the operations partner for GPs in private equity, venture capital, oil and gas, real estate, and infrastructure. It brings technology, data, and administrati...

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All episodes

The newest 50 of 431 episodes

Matt Chandler on Raising Kids Who Love Jesus (#436)

Nov 11, 2026 1 hr 25 min

Building Camden: 50 Years of Apartment Cycles & What Comes Next with Ric Campo (#435)

Oct 28, 2026 1 hr 23 min

Ross Perot Jr. on Why Texas Keeps Winning

Oct 21, 2026 1 hr 34 min

From Military Housing to a Diversified Enterprise: The Hunt Companies Story with Woody Hunt (#433)

Oct 14, 2026 1 hr 30 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Woody Hunt, Chairman Emeritus of Hunt Companies, the El Paso holding company that grew out of a hardware and building materials business his family bought in 1947. Woody joined in 1968 and watched his father take the company public when he was 23. Five years later, fixed-price contracts in a year of runaway inflation cost it about 25% of its equity, and by 1977 he was the controlling shareholder. When the next big shock came in 2008, Hunt had been building cash for five years. As a fellow El Pasoan, Chris has followed Woody's journey for years. They get into what each of those moments taught Woody about scaling, risk, liquidity, leading boards, and building a company that doesn't depend on him. They discuss:• The Friday a buyer walked away from a $250 million deal• How deflation in 2008 made his construction backlog more profitable• What has to be true before he buys a company• Why he sold a profitable company that needed 10,000 employees• Why a business shouldn't be tied to its owner's life cycle• What separates an exceptional board from a weak one• Why he's careful about who he asks questions• Why he wants El Paso to welcome data centers Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:05) How Hunt Grew from a $50,000 Hardware Store(07:18) Going Public at 23 and Breaking Into Military Housing(14:11) How Inflation Wiped Out 25% of Hunt's Equity in 1974(18:44) The 1977 Buyback and the Pivot to Niche Housing(25:08) How Hunt Won 60% of the Military Housing Market(32:37) Military Housing Goes from $500 Million to $10 Billion a Year(36:33) How Hunt Came Out of 2008 with Record Cash(41:34) Why Hunt Diversified as Military Housing Ran Out(48:39) What Has to Be True to Buy or Sell a Company(54:21) Why a Business Shouldn't Be Tied to the Owner's Life Cycle(59:19) What Separates an Exceptional Board from a Weak One(1:05:44) Why Raising Third-Party Capital Is Hunt's Hardest Challenge(1:10:07) How to Spot a High-Functioning Board in One Meeting(1:13:53) Why a...

How To Workout Distressed Real Estate Debt with Shlomo Chopp (#432)

Sep 30, 2026 1 hr 7 min

This week Chris sits down with Shlomo Chopp, Founder of Case Equity Partners. His job is helping real estate owners get out of or restructure loans they can't pay. Shlomo got into this after an attorney told him to read the CMBS loan documents, and he read them cover to cover. Today his clients range from owners with a couple million dollars of debt to an $800 million capital stack. They get into what is actually in a modern loan document, and what a borrower should do before the lender starts looking. They discuss:• Why 2008 did not play out like the savings and loan crisis• How a non-recourse loan turns into full recourse• How a payment due on a holiday can lock up your cash• How to study your loan documents before the next deal• Why an underwater property is the borrower's biggest leverage• Why Shlomo thinks the worst has already happened• Where Shlomo would put $50 million today Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:03) Why the Savings and Loan Playbook Failed in 2008(08:18) How Loan Documents Got Tougher After 2008(16:12) Why You Should Model Every Clause in Your Loan Documents(22:16) Which Lenders Hide Full Recourse in the Fine Print(25:21) How to Learn and Negotiate Your Loan Documents(32:18) What's Usually Gone Wrong by the Time a Borrower Calls(39:54) A Borrower's Leverage in a Loan Workout(44:09) Restructuring a Loan When You're Out of Cash(49:36) The Game Theory of Negotiating With Your Lender(53:14) A Good Operator Is Not the Same as a Good GP(54:53) Why Office and Multifamily Are Seeing the Most Distress(1:01:17) How Lenders' View of Office Has Shifted(1:03:26) Why the Worst of the Distress Is Already Here === Presented by Juniper Square: Juniper SquareJuniper Square is the operations partner for GPs in private equity, venture capital, oil and gas, real estate, and infrastructure. It brings technology, data, and administration together on one governed source of truth you own, so your team spends less time reconciling and more time running the firm your LPs are bac...

The Art & Science of Developing Iconic Retail Properties with Terry Montesi (#431)

Sep 23, 2026 1 hr 1 min

This week Chris sits down with Terry Montesi, Founder and CEO of Trademark Property Company, a Fort Worth developer of retail and mixed-use real estate he started in 1992. Terry was last on the show in 2019, in the middle of what the business was calling the retail apocalypse. They have closed four retail deals in the last 30 days, more than they have ever closed in a month, and Terry now says retail is the best asset class in the country. They get into why almost no new retail space got built for 17 years, what that shortage is doing to rents, and his playbook for creating value at each of his centers. They discuss:• Why almost no new retail space got built for 17 years• Why retailers started volunteering higher rents on their own• The call from a city manager offering to cover a $5 million gap• How a pop fountain landed Tommy Bahama as a tenant• What one grocery lease did to the returns on an entire project• Why he turned down the chance to take the company public• What he is doing to make sure Trademark outlasts him Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:54) How Retail Went from Apocalypse to Top Asset Class(05:31) Why Retail Vacancy Is Down to 4.4%(09:49) How Arlington Helped Trademark Win Lincoln Square(16:15) Picking Tenants with Demographics and Expected Distance(21:15) Why Tenant Build-Out Costs Have Doubled(23:44) The Tommy Bahama Deal That Proved Placemaking Pays(31:08) Dunham Point and Landing Whole Foods Late(37:09) Why Trademark Never Became a REIT(41:54) Getting Back into Development and Launching Multifamily(49:33) The Southlake Deal and an $18 Million City Incentive(54:17) Why Capital Chases Grocery-Anchored Retail(58:45) Succession Planning and Keeping Trademark Independent === Presented by Juniper Square: Juniper SquareJuniper Square is the operations partner for GPs in private equity, venture capital, oil and gas, real estate, and infrastructure. It brings technology, data, and administration together on one governed source of truth you own, so your team spe...

Inside the Department of Energy: Why the AI Race Has Become Physical with Adam Blake (#430)

Sep 16, 2026 1 hr 21 min

This week Chris sits down with Adam Blake, Co-founder and CEO of Mavria. Adam spent a little more than a year leading the DOGE team inside the Department of Energy. He has been a private person for 15 years, and last week he broke his silence with a tweet that got over 2 million views. Chris has known Adam since 2004. They met shortly after Chris arrived at TCU, and the school paper named Adam Entrepreneur of the Year for the real estate he was buying around campus. One lunch with him at a Chipotle changed the trajectory of Chris' life. Adam went on to build a commercial solar company that did around 2,000 projects across 17 states, then sold a software company to Vista Equity Partners. In early 2025 a friend called about DOGE. Within about a week he was on a plane to DC, and two weeks after that he was sitting in the West Wing with Elon Musk and the Secretary of Energy. The executive order that set a goal of three new nuclear reactors going critical by July 4th, 2026 put his team in charge of making it happen. Everyone thought it was impossible. It got done. Along the way he got death threats over an anonymous quote that the chairman of the NRC later denied under oath. Now he is building Mavria with two of the people who were in those rooms with him, backed by a $30M pre-seed from a single investor. His view is simple. AI is power, and America has to build a lot more of it. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:18) Why He Decided to Speak Publicly Now(04:37) From Campus Real Estate to Brightergy to Zego(09:03) The Week That Took Him From Coronado to the West Wing(13:02) What DOGE Was Actually There to Do(19:52) Inside the DOGE Team, Working Under Elon(24:53) Why He Calls Washington the Hunger Games(28:08) The Tijuana Sewage Crisis Nobody Has Fixed(31:45) Three New Reactors by July 4, 2026(35:02) Death Threats Over a Story That Was Never True(41:52) Why Fear Is Not a Strategy on AI(49:09) Why It Takes a Decade to Plug Into the Grid(55:30) Winning Back Public Trust on Data Cent...

Reindustrializing America: Building NOX Metals & The Future of Manufacturing with Zane Hengsperger (#429)

Sep 9, 2026 1 hr 2 min

This week Chris sits down with Zane Hengsperger, Founder and CEO of NOX Metals, a metal supplier in Detroit he started in 2025. NOX buys metal from the mill, cuts it to the exact size a machine shop needs, and ships it out. The whole operation runs on software the company writes itself. Zane is 26, and his first job was scrubbing the floors of his dad's machine shop at 14. He went into software, then came back to run a machine shop. That is where he saw that metal was the bottleneck for everyone making parts in America. The incumbents have been around for 200 years and have never put software to work. NOX is a year old and has raised an $11.5M seed round. It has written a million lines of code and quotes an order in 10 seconds. They discuss:• The 18-minute call with Y Combinator that put him on a plane the next day• Why his dad hired software engineers for a machine shop back in 2017• How one piece of software does the work of 20 salespeople• Why two of his engineers moved their desks onto the factory floor• Why the forklift driver gets equity after three months• The 7pm order that was in Dallas by 10 the next morning• Why he says America needs 100x more factories• Where AI has let him down so far This one is for anyone betting on American manufacturing. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:10) Reading Alex Karp and Walking Back Into a Machine Shop(06:06) Hiring Young Technicians Who Want Hard Work(09:10) Why the Brand Is the Moat(14:28) Lessons From a Dad Who Ran a Machine Shop(16:14) Getting Into Y Combinator With One Day's Notice(22:06) Buy a Saw and Write Instant Quoting Software(27:37) Software Engineers on the Factory Floor(34:29) Is America Actually Reindustrializing?(40:55) America Needs 100 Times More Factories(45:26) Quotes in 10 Seconds Instead of Eight Hours(50:09) Delta Cargo Deliveries and Why Detroit Is Ripping(56:07) Where AI Falls Short and What the Next 24 Months Hold(59:13) The Customer Is the Core Thing Left in America === Presented by True North Advisors:...

Developing North Texas' Iconic Master Planned Communities with Lucy Billingsley (#428)

Aug 26, 2026 50 min

This week Chris sits down with Lucy Billingsley, Co-founder and Partner of Billingsley Company, the Dallas development firm she started with her husband Henry in 1978. Lucy is the daughter of Trammell Crow, who built the largest real estate development company in America. She left the family business because she did not want to be a minority vote. She and Henry built their own firm instead, and today they run it with their kids. Billingsley plays a longer game than almost anyone in real estate. They buy land 30 or 40 years before the growth arrives and hold it until the market is ready. Cypress Waters alone is 1,300 acres zoned for 10,000 apartments and over 12 million square feet of office. They discuss:• Why every building they develop goes in the kids' names from day one• The rule that keeps siblings from ever voting on each other's deals• The lake at Cypress Waters they bought for 50 cents a foot• The difference between a park people look at and a park people actually use• Why new office space now rents for more than Dallas has ever seen• Where AI is already saving them real money in construction Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:52) Building a Family Business and Putting Assets in the Kids' Names(05:55) From the Dallas Market Center Into Development(09:15) Picking Land and Staying Ahead of the Growth Wave(14:33) Designing the Public Arena to Make a Place(18:00) Zoning Is an Art, Not a Guarantee(20:52) What Cities Want and What the State Took Away(22:31) The Future of Office and Why Amenities Win(28:44) How They Decide What to Build and Where to Buy Next(33:15) The Events Business and Public-Private Partnerships(36:52) Buying a Lake for 50 Cents a Foot and Draining It(37:54) Construction Costs and the Frozen Single Family Market(42:07) Reinventing Herself and the Cypress Waters Trail(46:37) Going All In on AI === Presented by True North Advisors:True North Advisors is a multi-family office and private wealth advisory firm serving business owners, entrepreneurs, and fam...

The Man Who Took Elon to Russia & Why His New Company Phantom is SpaceX's Unfinished Business with Jim Cantrell, CEO of Phantom Space (#427)

Aug 12, 2026 1 hr 52 min

This week Chris sits down with Jim Cantrell, Co-founder & CEO of Phantom Space. He co-founded Phantom Space in 2019, where he is now trying to mass produce rockets. He was employee number four at SpaceX and its first VP of Business Development. Jim is one of a handful of people who was actually in the room at the start. They discuss:• How getting arrested for espionage in Russia is the reason Elon Musk ever called him• What a fishing trip in Florida taught him about raising money• Why he believes SpaceX only exists because the Russians said no• What Carl Sagan asked him in a traffic jam• Why the rocket companies that worked spent a few hundred million and the ones that failed spent billions• What he means when he says he is building the Henry Ford of space• Why he thinks the only sovereign place left for a data center is orbit Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:00) Getting Into Space by Accident(07:06) The Real Soviets and Getting Arrested for Espionage(13:54) The Cold Call From Elon Musk(20:27) The Moscow Trips That Created SpaceX(31:55) From SpaceX Employee Number Four to the Skybox Exit(39:12) Searching for Serendipity in Hotel Boardrooms(43:06) Faith and the Unfinished Business Behind Phantom(53:29) The Case for Mars and SpaceX as a Nation State(57:04) Why America Has to Win Space(1:05:42) Becoming the Henry Ford of Space(1:10:49) Why Data Belongs in Space(1:20:27) Why Phantom Builds Its Own Rockets(1:28:54) Seeing the Future and Staying Under the Radar(1:35:52) The Executives Who Wanted to Destroy Elon(1:40:50) The Launch Shortage and Data Centers in Space(1:49:04) Keeping Space Free of a New East India Company === Presented by Airshare:Trusted across the country for fractional ownership, jet cards, charter, and aircraft management, Airshare gives you a smarter way to fly private - over 25 years of experience, operating their own fleet, with the top safety ratings in the industry. Drive up to the FBO, walk on, and go. Go to flyairshare.com to learn more. === Sponsored...

Manufacturing, Supply Chains, and Building an Infrastructure Company with Justin Lopas (#426)

Aug 5, 2026 1 hr 8 min

Today Chris sits down with Justin Lopas, Co-founder & COO of Base Power Company. On Monday Base announced a $1B Series D at a $13B post money valuation. Justin spent his early career at SpaceX, where he helped lead the Brownsville site that became Starbase, then ran manufacturing at Anduril. Base puts large batteries on homes, owns and operates them, and uses the fleet to support the grid. This is a conversation about speed, and about how much of it turns out to be a decision rather than an effort level. They discuss:• Why he wanted their first battery installed fast instead of right• Why he thinks good manufacturing is decided during design, not on the factory floor• Why he does not push his suppliers as hard on price as he could• Why SpaceX put him in charge of building the Starship factory two and a half years into his career• The question he asks to find out why a job is really taking so long• How a battery company ended up training its own electricians• Why he calls Base an infrastructure company and not a product company Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:48) From Late-Night Research to an Office in Austin(07:55) The First Battery Install Was an Epic Failure(09:15) Finding a Battery Supplier Who Would Let Them In(15:47) Killing Gen Two and Skipping Straight to Gen Three(22:52) From a Hundred Requirements to Cardboard Cutouts(26:02) Good Manufacturing Is Won or Lost at the Design Stage(32:48) How to Build a Supply Chain From Nothing(40:51) Negotiating With Suppliers and Deciding What to Build Yourself(44:58) The Turtle That Marks the Slowest Team(47:39) The SpaceX Lessons on Talent and Speed(54:09) Building a Regulatory Team and Choosing the Next State(58:19) Managing Complexity Is the Whole Job(1:03:20) Tesla Sells Products, Base Owns Infrastructure(1:05:24) Training Electricians and Staying Out of Commercial === Presented by Airshare: Trusted across the country for fractional ownership, jet cards, charter, and aircraft management, Airshare gives you a smarter way to...

Reindustrialization, Data Center Gold Rush, Death of The Allocator, National Security, & Capital Flows with Michael Levy (#425)

Jul 29, 2026 1 hr 24 min

This week Chris sits down with Michael Levy, CEO of Crow Holdings, one of the largest private real estate firms in the country. This one goes far beyond real estate. Michael runs a major firm, but he opens on the big macro picture and works his way back down to real estate. They start with where the economy and the country are heading, and they end on what it means for how investors should be thinking today. They discuss:• The reindustrialization of America, and why national security and supply chains are driving what gets built• Getting out of the online bubble, and why travel, long-form media, and real conversation matter more now• The data center power wall, where deposits run a million dollars a megawatt for power that may not arrive for years• Why Michael believes a country's wealth comes down to the cost and abundance of its energy• Whether college is still worth it, and why the master electrician may be the new Google engineer• The future of the allocator model in real estate, and why scale and consolidation are reshaping the industry• Where real estate goes now, and why this could be a slow decade before it turns Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:50) The Big Arc of History Has Swung(07:09) Following the Capital Into Defense and Infrastructure(13:22) Getting Out of the Bubble and the Rise of New Media(21:18) How Power Deposits Reset the Data Center Game(25:34) Crow's Data Center Power Strategy and the Dallas Project(30:58) What If We Stop Needing Big Data Centers?(36:22) The Wealth of a Country Is Its Energy(39:26) Why College Debt Buys Classes You Never Needed(44:22) The Master Electrician Is the New Google Engineer(49:23) Is the Allocator Model Done?(55:33) You Don't Get Fired for Hiring IBM(59:29) Why the Local Friends-and-Family Fundraiser Survives(1:05:37) How Crow Competes Against the Big Consolidators(1:12:04) How Co-Invest and Breakpoints Quietly Erode Fees(1:19:43) The 2020s Could Be a Lost Decade in Real Estate === Presented by AirshareTrusted across the...

He's Raised $10 Billion For Real Estate Fund Managers. His Advice: "Don't Raise A Fund." with Jonathan Glick (#424)

Jul 22, 2026 1 hr 26 min

This week Chris sits down with Jonathan Glick, founder of Incucap and one of the most active fund placement agents in the country. Over his career he's helped place more than $10 billion into real estate funds, and he says raising one has never been harder than it is right now. There are 600 to 1,000 funds chasing a shrinking pool of capital, real estate has lost a decade of ground to private credit, private equity and everything else, and most managers now spend two years raising a single fund. So his advice to almost everyone who calls wanting to start one is simple. Don't. They talk about who he'd actually back out of the 300-plus managers he meets a year, why he says most funds run in the red until their third or fourth one, and how the whole business has slid into a fee game, which changes the incentives dramatically. They get into where he thinks we are in the 18-year real estate cycle, why he believes vacancy is temporary and basis is forever, and the case that the next few years are the best time in over a decade to leave a big firm and build your own platform. Timestamps(0:00) Intro(0:54) Dallas, Talent Wars, and Why Asset Management Became the Hot Hire(7:12) Too Many Funds Chasing Too Little Capital(12:16) Why Glick Tells Almost Everyone: Don't Raise a Fund(16:58) From "Get an A" to "Score 100": Standing Out in a Crowded Market(25:45) Timing Traps and the Private-Equityization of Real Estate(37:17) Chasing 20% Returns Again: Rents, Costs, and the 18-Year Cycle(43:10) Basis Resets, the 401(k) Wave, and the Economics of a Fund(52:08) Sizing a Fund Right and the First-Timer Discount(56:33) Fixing Fundraising: Diligence, AI Backlash, and Old-School Wins(1:05:28) Founder Culture: The Summit, Loneliness, and a New Wave of Spinouts(1:12:03) Quitting Advice, Creators vs. Catchers, and the Attention Economy === Presented by Airshare:Trusted across the country for fractional ownership, jet cards, charter, and aircraft management, Airshare gives you a smarter way to...

The World's Biggest Investors Are Buying Real Estate Again with Mark Gibson, CEO of JLL, Capital Markets, Americas (#423)

Jul 15, 2026 1 hr 11 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Mark Gibson, CEO of Capital Markets, Americas at JLL. He sits at the center of how capital moves through commercial real estate, which means he sees the data long before the narratives catch up. Chris and Mark get into why the world's largest investors are looking at real estate again after four years of underperformance, the signal in late 2024 that told his team the market had turned, and the wave of retirement capital that could reshape who owns real estate for the next decade. He is measured, data-driven, and one of the sharpest reads on this market Chris has had on the show. Timestamps(0:00) Intro(01:36) The Relative-Value Case for Real Estate(04:24) Reading the Market Through Bond Volatility and the VIX(09:50) Three Growth Pillars: Tax Cuts, Reshoring, and the AI Buildout(17:10) Fundraising Discipline(21:49) Operational Excellence Over Financial Engineering(28:53) M&A Acceleration and the Private Equity Property-Management Roll-Up(35:38) Disciplined Lenders, Capitulation vs. Conviction, and Bad Capital Structures(42:46) The 401(k) Wave: Private Real Estate Enters Retirement Plans(48:56) Multifamily's Supply Overhang and the Case for a Rebound(59:54) Data Centers: Scale, Power, and Who Owns This Stuff Long-Term(1:06:31) Office's Haves and Have-Nots === Find our sponsors: True North AdvisorsTrue North Advisors is a multi-family office and private wealth advisory firm serving business owners, entrepreneurs, and families since 2000. With over $5.6 billion under management, they're real investors offering conflict-free counsel and portfolios built around your life. Learn more at https://truenorthadvisors.com Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms, the kind of marketing collateral that helps you close capital. Learn more at https://collateral.com/powers Relay Human CloudRelay Human Cloud gives you pre-vetted, fu...

The Hottest Apartment Developer in America (Who Builds For 30% Less Than Competitors) with Steven Campisi, Hillpointe (#422)

Jul 8, 2026 1 hr 21 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Steven Campisi, co-founder of Hillpointe, one of the largest developers of attainable housing in the country. Most apartment developers design a brand new building for every project. Hillpointe has built the exact same building 800 times, which creates advantages that compound over time. That repetition plus their material and labor strategy is how Hillpointe builds across the Sun Belt for 30-40% less than everyone else. They get into their direct overseas sourcing business, how they've built their own in-house subcontractor base, how they underwrite new opportunities, the state of the market, and why they run the whole operation as a series of discretionary funds. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(02:58) Steven's Three-Pronged Competitive Advantage(10:29) Prototype Building Strategy(12:39) Direct-to-Crew Labor and Why Crews Choose Hillpointe(20:02) China Sourcing Operations, Scale & Factory Relationships(25:22) Labor Market Shortages & Specialized vs. Generalist Trades(35:01) Land Acquisition Strategy & Regional Development Teams(41:12) Underwriting Deals(44:09) Achieving Investor Alignment(54:45) Fund Model vs. Traditional JV Equity(1:01:25) Raising Institutional Capital(1:09:48) Debt Structure, Supply Glut, and the Road to a 2027 Rent Rebound(1:16:09) AI and Centralizing Operations With an In-House Contact Center Find our sponsors: True North AdvisorsTrue North Advisors is a multi-family office and private wealth advisory firm serving business owners, entrepreneurs, and families since 2000. With over $5.6 billion under management, they're real investors offering conflict-free counsel and portfolios built around your life. Learn more at https://truenorthadvisors.com Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms, the kind of marketing collateral that helps you close capital. Learn more at https://collateral.com/powers Relay Hum...

The Ex-SpaceX Engineer Reinventing the American Home with Riley Meik (#421)

Jul 1, 2026 1 hr 21 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Riley Meik, co-founder and CEO of The American Housing Corporation, a company building factory-made row homes for the kind of city lots we've stopped building on. For 70 years we got great at putting single-family homes on the outskirts and basically quit building family-sized housing in the places people actually want to live. Riley's bet is that you fix that the way you'd fix any hard manufacturing problem: own the whole stack, design every part from first principles, and build the home in a factory. His first prototype went from manufactured to installed to finished in 13 weeks, and the goal from here is a home that costs 30 to 50% less than local construction. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:22) The Housing Crisis Is a Production Problem(04:33) Why America Stopped Building Family Housing in Cities(09:50) The First Company and Why Selling to Home Builders Doesn't Work(14:58) First Principles Engineering: What Does a Wall Actually Need to Do?(21:39) Getting Code-Certified for a Building System That Doesn't Exist Yet(27:57) One Miracle at a Time(31:47) Three Entities, One Mission: How AHC's Capital Stack Works(37:52) 18 Months of R&D: Panel Install Time Dropped 70%(44:22) The Two-Week Build Goal(47:03) Eichler Homes and Designing for Young Families(52:24) Beautiful Housing Gets Approved: Design as Regulatory Strategy(1:00:08) Gigafactory Over Mobile Micro-Factory(1:04:40) Margin Targets, Market Selection, and the Coastal City Thesis(1:11:39) Earning the Right to Automate and Hiring for the Housing Crisis Find our sponsors: True North AdvisorsTrue North Advisors is a multi-family office and private wealth advisory firm serving business owners, entrepreneurs, and families since 2000. With over $5.6 billion under management, they're real investors offering conflict-free counsel and portfolios built around your life. Learn more at https://truenorthadvisors.com Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor ma...

How He Built a 2.5M-Follower Media Machine with Chris Koerner (#420)

Jun 23, 2026 1 hr 16 min

In this episode, Chris Powers sits down with Chris Koerner, a serial entrepreneur and host of The Koerner Office, one of the fastest-growing business podcasts in the world. Koerner has gone all-in on media: 1.4M on Instagram, a 270k newsletter, and a YouTube channel he grew to 600k subscribers in a year. They get into how he cracked short-form, why he thinks attention is the only moat left once AI makes any business easy to build, and the filters he uses to decide what's actually worth starting. Then they go somewhere completely different. They talk in great detail about his experience as a missionary for the LDS Church. Koerner spent two years in Hungary, knocked on roughly 25,000 doors as a self-described introvert, and discusses the skills it taught him that made him a better businessman. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:08) From Mobile Home Parks Tweeter to Business Media Juggernaut(09:38) Why Audio Builds More Loyal Followers Than Anything Else(12:21) Facebook's Hidden Creator Payouts and Getting Shut Down Overnight(17:11) The Two-Pizza Company: Building a Lean Content Machine(23:36) From Impulse to Publication: How Content Moves Through the Factory(28:13) The YouTube Split That Unlocked the Algorithm(33:52) The Real Mission: Inspiring Strangers to Start a Business(37:37) Why People Don't Act Until They Hit Rock Bottom(40:03) Selling Religion Door to Door: The LDS Mission in Hungary(50:01) 25,000 Doors, 11 Baptisms: What Mass Rejection Really Teaches(56:53) Homecoming: The Most Depressing Day of His Life(1:06:53) Violence and Death in the Missionary Life === Sponsored by: Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms, the kind of marketing collateral that helps you close capital. Learn more at https://collateral.com/powers Relay Human CloudRelay Human Cloud gives you pre-vetted, fully managed global talent for up to 75% less than hiring locally. Your best p...

The Business That's Selling Sunlight After Dark with Ben Nowack, CEO of Reflect Orbital (#419)

Jun 16, 2026 1 hr 44 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Ben Nowack, co-founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital, one of the first companies building satellites that redirect sunlight from orbit to specific spots on Earth, with the goal of delivering sunlight on demand, 24/7. Why would you want sunlight 24/7? Agriculture and farming, construction projects, rescue missions, military operations, powering solar panels closer to 100% of the time instead of ~30%, etc. Ben started Reflect in 2021. He spent the first year in a garage, $60k in credit card debt, before a $350k raise came in. Reflect has now raised more than $35 million. Sequoia led the seed (its first space investment since SpaceX), Lux Capital led the $20M Series A, and it launches its first satellite later this year. They discuss:• A speech Gwynne Shotwell gave during his tenure at SpaceX that he will never forget• What he learned while working at SpaceX that he implements at Reflect• The story of building the actual company and why building hardware is hard• How they think about vertical integration• The trillion $ business case for redirecting sunlight• How he recruits technical talent, what works and what doesn't Timestamps(0:00) Intro(1:07) "Rockets Are Cool, But They're Not the Big Money Makers"(7:00) Lessons from SpaceX: What Ben Took (and Left Behind)(16:35) The Origin: From High School Fusion Reactors to Reflect Orbital(25:10) The Fossil Fuel Problem and Why It's So Hard to Beat(28:37) "By 3 AM You Have a Minimum Viable Financial Model"(35:44) The Breakthrough: Putting Mirrors in Space(41:00) Building the First Satellite(51:03) First Satellite and Seven-Figure Demand Nobody Expected(57:00) The Constellation Plan: 18 Satellites, Global Coverage(1:10:00) What It's Like to Order Sunlight(1:22:00) Why Fashion Designers Build Better Spacecraft Than JWST Engineers(1:25:36) The 10-Year Vision: Starship, Scale, and Powering the Earth Find our sponsors: Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor mate...

State Of The Private Aviation Industry with John Owen, CEO of Airshare (#418)

Jun 9, 2026 1 hr 2 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with John Owen, President and CEO of Airshare, one of the largest private jet operators in the country. Airshare started in 2000 and spent over twenty years as a regional Midwest operator before going national in 2023 by acquiring Wheels Up's aircraft management business. They get into how the business actually works, where operators make and lose money, and where the industry is headed. They discuss:• Why fractional is the one part of the industry growing• How the Wheels Up deal came together• Why new jets are booked out to 2029• The Wi-Fi arms race in the air• His approach to bringing AI into the company Timestamps(00:00) Intro(03:01) Rise of Fractional Ownership(05:10) The Hidden Costs of Jet Ownership(08:40) Choosing Between Charter, Jet Cards & Ownership(11:35) The Wheels Up Acquisition(16:28) What Makes a Good Acquisition Target(21:39) Why Empty Legs Rarely Work(24:38) The Lasting Impact of COVID on Private Aviation(28:35) The Evolution of In-Flight Wi-Fi(31:18) Dealing with Airport and FBO Congestion(37:37) Consolidation in Private Aviation(43:03) Transferring a Management Company(47:31) Airshare's Most Important Metrics(51:41) AI Inside the Business Find our sponsors: Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms, the kind of marketing collateral that helps you close capital. Learn more at https://collateral.com/powers Relay Human CloudRelay Human Cloud gives you pre-vetted, fully managed global talent for up to 75% less than hiring locally. Your best people stop doing repetitive work and get back to the work that moves your company forward. Learn more at https://www.relayhumancloud.com/powers/ Download FastJets:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fastjets/id6756160345Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyjetting.app Chris on Social Media:X: https://x.com/fortworthchrisInstagram: https://www.i...

From One $3M Loan to a $25B Firm - How Madison Realty Capital Was Built with Josh Zegen (#417)

Jun 2, 2026 1 hr 23 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Josh Zegen, Co-Founder & Managing Principal of Madison Realty Capital, a $25 billion real estate private credit firm he started with his college roommate in 2004. They dig into how he built one of the largest private lenders in the country starting from a desk in his dad's law office, and why he still thinks of himself as a businessman first and a real estate guy second. Josh got into lending almost by accident. Laid off from a VC firm at 26 when the dot-com bubble burst, he took one mortgage deal nobody else would do, saw how fragmented and non-institutional the market was, and built a fund around it before "private credit" meant anything. Chris and Josh go deep on surviving '08, reinventing the business when capital dried up, and how Madison grew into a platform that now lends to other lenders. They discuss:• How Josh went from a laid-off VC associate living back home to founding a $25B firm• Surviving '09, including giving up 50% of the company for a $50M anchor that collapsed at the last minute• Why he built servicing, asset management, and capital raising in-house instead of outsourcing• The $10B back-leverage book that makes Madison the lender to ~100 other private lenders• The $720M single loan behind the largest office-to-residential conversion in NYC• Where he sees real estate credit headed, and why he stays away from office, data centers, and anything "binary" Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:52) Rate Volatility and a Stalled CRE Investment Market(09:44) What's Getting Done Today: Construction, Conversions, and Recaps(18:49) Founding Madison: Seeing Opportunity in a Fragmented Market(23:10) The GFC: Gating Investors and Going Vertically Integrated(29:17) The $50M REIT Deal That Nearly Ended Madison, and the Door It Opened(42:19) Why Borrowers Now Prefer Private Credit Over Banks(45:08) In-House Loan Servicing as Madison's Competitive Edge(46:57) The Back Leverage Business: Lending to Private Lenders(53:26) Capital Markets Ex...

The Texas Power Grid, AI, and the Race for Data Centers with Rep. John McQueeney (#416)

May 26, 2026 1 hr 21 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with John McQueeney, State Representative for House District 97 in Tarrant County, Texas and member of the State Affairs Committee covering power grid and electric policy. In the last six weeks alone, John's committee has run three interim data center hearings. He is also drafting the Data Center Responsibility Act for the January 2027 session, the bill that will set the framework for how Texas handles the data center build-out for a generation. Texas has 440 gigawatts of applications in the queue against roughly 110 gigawatts of current peak capacity. Someone has to sort out what's real, what's speculative, and who pays for the grid when it all comes online. John is one of the people doing that work. They discuss:• Why the data center industry is losing a PR battle it should be winning• The tax story hyperscalers haven't been telling• How the large load approval process works in Texas, end to end, from TSP submission to ERCOT study to Approved to Energize• What's real vs. speculative in the 440 GW pipeline• Behind-the-meter data centers as grid stabilizers• What the Data Center Responsibility Act will cover• The railroad analogy: why communities that miss this build-out will fall behind for decades Timestamps(00:00) Intro(02:27) Why Data Centers Are a "12 Out of 10" for Texas(08:17) A Day Without a Data Center(09:34) Inside Stargate: Lancium, Crusoe, Oracle & OpenAI(14:34) When One Data Center Funds 30% of a City's Budget(17:03) The Vicious Restudy Cycle & the Batch Zero Fix(28:55) 440 GW of Applications Chasing 105 GW of Capacity(35:53) The 75 MW Threshold & Going Behind the Meter(48:36) Drafting the Data Center Responsibility Act(54:19) North Texas's Hidden Risk in Batch Zero(01:08:35) Who Actually Pays for the Grid Buildout?(01:14:32) Data Centers Are a National Security Issue(01:18:12) Data Centers in Space & the Long Arc === Presented by Airshare:Trusted across the country for fractional ownership, jet cards, charter, and aircr...

Building a $2.2B Aerospace Business From Scratch with Bryan Perkins (#415)

May 19, 2026 1 hr 22 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Bryan Perkins, Founder & CEO of Novaria Group, a Fort Worth-based aerospace manufacturer he started in 2011 and sold to Arcline last November for $2.2 billion. Bryan didn't set out to be in aerospace. He needed a job. But once he was in, he saw a niche nobody else wanted, high-mix, low-volume, esoteric parts that go under the radar, and spent 15 years rolling up 27 companies into one of the biggest businesses most people have never heard of. His North Star from the start was TransDigm, a company he'd been studying since his 20s. Chris and Bryan unpack the full operator's playbook behind that arc, how his thinking has evolved across a family office, KKR, and now Arcline, and where the entire aerospace ecosystem is headed by 2030. They discuss:• Why you can't outmanage a bad capital structure, and what most lower middle market PE gets wrong about underwriting• How Bryan built a roll-up that produces 80-90% proprietary deal flow, and the patience it takes to do that• Why commoditization is an immediate no, and how the "layer cake" of process IP, material science, and unit economics creates moats most people can't see• What an arranged marriage with private equity actually looks like, across three different capital partners• Why he thinks the world still won't have enough airplanes by 2030, and how the new space economy is reshaping demand• The decadal-thinking, "win the day" mindset behind a 15-year compounding machine Timestamps(0:00) Intro(01:22) "You Can't Outmanage a Bad Capital Structure"(05:00) Underwriting Deals(12:17) Novaria's Strategy in Plain English(15:04) IP Moats Over Commoditization(17:04) Why Making an Aerospace Washer Is Harder Than You Think(21:56) Business Model Business vs. Single-Product Business(27:07) Patience and Decadal Thinking as a Proprietary Deal Flow Strategy(30:49) How Unglamorous Early Jobs Build Real Credibility(38:01) Centralized Controls, Decentralized Operations(44:44) Leveling Up: Founders Who S...

The Most Powerful Land Broker in North Texas

May 12, 2026 1 hr 22 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Rex Glendenning, founder of REX Real Estate and the man known across North Texas as the "King of Dirt." Rex is a fourth-generation Celina native whose great-grandfather homesteaded 160 acres in 1887. Over the last four decades he's brokered billions in DFW land deals, including the $130M public-private partnership that brought the Cowboys to Frisco, while quietly running a 4-broker shop out of his hometown. Chris and Rex unpack his patience-and-dirt playbook, why he believes DFW is becoming the financial epicenter of America, and how he reads a real estate cycle years ahead of the rest of the industry. They discuss:• How Rex originated the Star deal in 60 days, and why Frisco won the Cowboys instead of Irving• His foundational theory: why every American city grows north (with one exception)• 40 years of plowing every dollar back into dirt• Why he believes DFW becomes "Y'all Street"• Why he never scaled past three brokers• His read on where we are in the cycle Timestamps(00:00) Intro(05:20) Learning When to Shut Up in Business and Life(08:53) Growing Up Rural in Celina & the Work Ethic It Built(11:02) Why Every City in America Grows North(14:18) Betting on the Pandemic: $1 Billion in Deals with Just His Wife(23:38) The Star Deal: How Rex Helped Move the Dallas Cowboys to Frisco(30:23) Small Towns vs. Big Cities: The Public-Private Partnership Advantage(40:24) DFW Airport as the Hidden Engine of North Texas Growth(44:06) The H-1B Visa Pullback & Its Real Impact on the Housing Market(48:11) How Rex Thinks About Surviving a Recession(56:23) Will an "Artery Pop" in '26 or '27?(01:00:26) Why Rex Is Worth 6%: Full-Service vs. Order-Taking Brokers(01:04:43) Selling the Same Ranch 7 Times Over 40 Years(01:19:03) What Keeps Rex Up at Night: Reading the Current Market Cycle === Sponsored by: Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family offic...

Building a $100M CPG Brand With Only 10 Employees - James Beshara (#413)

May 5, 2026 1 hr 35 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Rex Glendenning, founder of REX Real Estate and the man known across North Texas as the "King of Dirt." Rex is a fourth-generation Celina native whose great-grandfather homesteaded 160 acres in 1887. Over the last four decades he's brokered billions in DFW land deals, including the $130M public-private partnership that brought the Cowboys to Frisco, while quietly running a 4-broker shop out of his hometown. Chris and Rex unpack his patience-and-dirt playbook, why he believes DFW is becoming the financial epicenter of America, and how he reads a real estate cycle years ahead of the rest of the industry. They discuss:• How Rex originated the Star deal in 60 days, and why Frisco won the Cowboys instead of Irving• His foundational theory: why every American city grows north (with one exception)• 40 years of plowing every dollar back into dirt• Why he believes DFW becomes "Y'all Street"• Why he never scaled past three brokers• His read on where we are in the cycle Timestamps(05:20) Learning When to Shut Up in Business and Life(08:53) Growing Up Rural in Salina & the Work Ethic It Built(11:02) Why Every City in America Grows North(14:18) Betting on the Pandemic: $1 Billion in Deals with Just His Wife(23:38) The Star Deal: How Rex Helped Move the Dallas Cowboys to Frisco(30:23) Small Towns vs. Big Cities: The Public-Private Partnership Advantage(40:24) DFW Airport as the Hidden Engine of North Texas Growth(44:06) The H-1B Visa Pullback & Its Real Impact on the Housing Market(48:11) How Rex Thinks About Surviving a Recession(56:23) Will an "Artery Pop" in '26 or '27?(01:00:26) Why Rex Is Worth 6%: Full-Service vs. Order-Taking Brokers(01:04:43) Selling the Same Ranch 7 Times Over 40 Years(01:19:03) What Keeps Rex Up at Night: Reading the Current Market Cycle === Sponsored by: Collateral PartnersCollateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms, the...

The High School That Refunds Your Tuition If You Don't Make $1M with Nat Eliason (#412)

Apr 28, 2026 1 hr 28 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Nat Eliason, founder, writer, and now launching Founders School, a new entrepreneur high school in New York City. Tuition is $150K a year. The promise: every student hits a million dollars in gross profit by graduation, or the family gets their tuition refunded. The first class is around 20 freshmen. The day is split between AI-driven academics in the morning and business building the rest of the day. This is also the same Nat Eliason who in his spare time built Felix, an AI agent he gave a Stripe account, an email, and an X handle, then told to launch a business overnight. Felix has done $60+K in sales since. Nat has not touched the code. They discuss:• Why the "game of school" is kayfabe and what's finally breaking it• The 16-year-old flying out to California to run short-form video for Al Pacino's new movie• The Munger inversion behind Founders School's curriculum: "why would these kids fail?"• What businesses a 14-year-old should and shouldn't build (and the $500/month software budget)• How Nat masters a new domain every two or three years, and why his $35K smart-contract loss accelerated him faster than caution would have• Felix, what "zero human" actually looks like, and the rules Nat set up to keep himself out of it• The day Anthropic shut off Open Claw and Alpha students reverse-engineered a proxy workaround in hours• Why the founding fathers wrote the Declaration in their early 20s, and what we forgot about teenagers Timestamps(00:00) Intro(05:55) What Alpha Does Differently From Conventional Schools(11:48) Playing the Fake Game of School(21:46) How Nat Masters New Domains(32:18) Open Claw Deep Dive(43:50) Building the Founders School Entrepreneurship Program(51:43) Freshman Year Structure at Founders School(1:00:23) How Students Can Pitch for Equity or Debt Funding(1:04:08) Why Establish a New York Location for Year One(1:11:15) Nat's 10-Year Vision(1:15:11) AI as a Force Multiplier for Teenage Founders(1:16:15) How Al...

Building a $3B Family Office From Scratch with Matthew Ogle, Co-founder & CEO of Legacy Knight (#411)

Apr 21, 2026 1 hr 33 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Matthew Ogle, Co-founder & CEO of Legacy Knight, a $2.8B multi-family office in Dallas, TX that he co-founded in 2019. We dig into how you build a world-class multi-family office from scratch, and why so many wealthy families out there don't actually have one yet. Matthew's path into wealth management didn't start in a boardroom. It started on a tennis court. A summer teaching tennis to a CIO's family at Cape Cod opened the first door, which led him to Credit Suisse's private bank through the GFC and then five years at the Crow family office, helping transform it into one of the first true multi-family offices in Dallas. He opened Legacy Knight's doors in October 2019 with $2.5M of operating capital, 14 seed families, and a contrarian bet, that the new generation of sub-50-year-old entrepreneurs hitting their first liquidity event needed something the bulge brackets couldn't offer. Six years later, Legacy Knight manages over $3B and was named the fastest-growing RIA in Texas. Chris and Matthew go deep on what it actually takes to build a multi-family office the right way, the technology, the hiring, the legacy conversations with families, and why Matthew refuses to grow by acquiring other books of business. They discuss:• Why every hire at Legacy Knight comes out of the family office world, not from the bulge brackets• How most $100M+ families are still running their wealth on a Google Doc and a handshake with their accountant• Why "do nothing in the year after a liquidity event" is half good advice and half terrible advice• The most creative things Matthew has seen ultra-wealthy families do with their capital• How Matthew thinks about his own kids, legacy, and when to start the wealth conversation Links:Legacy Knight: https://legacyknight.com/Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-ogle-ab11873/ Timestamps(00:00) Intro(02:01) Matthew's First Exposure to Wealth Management(07:58) Joining Credit Suisse (Pre-GFC):...

#410 - Austin Tunnell - Founder of Building Culture - The Power of Developing Beautiful Buildings

Apr 14, 2026 1 hr 21 min

In this episode, Chris sits down with Austin Tunnell, founder of Building Culture - a real estate development and design-build company based in Oklahoma City specializing in structural masonry construction and walkable, mixed-use urban infill. Austin's path to real estate is one of the more unusual ones we've had on the show. He grew up a football player in the suburbs of Houston, went to work at KPMG out of college, hated it, and joined the Peace Corps. A chance meeting with a master mason in Panama changed the trajectory of his life. He returned to the US and apprenticed for two years laying brick by hand for $12 an hour in rural Oklahoma while his wife cleaned houses to support them. Today Austin designs and develops some of the most beautiful residential and mixed-use projects being built in America, including an 18-townhome, live-work, and mixed-use commercial project currently underway in downtown Edmond, Oklahoma. Chris and Austin go deep on Austin's philosophy of beauty, the case for building things meant to last hundreds of years, and the policy, financing, and culture obstacles standing in the way. We discuss: - How a chance meeting with a master mason in Panama changed the trajectory of Austin's life - The difference between veneer brick and true structural masonry, and why almost no one in the US builds the real thing anymore - Why Austin believes beauty is real, beauty is important, and beauty "connects us to the divine" - Five simple brick details any developer can use to make a veneer building look dramatically better for almost no added cost - How fire codes, building codes, and Euclidean zoning quietly destroy neighborhoods and push developers toward the same ugly apartment complexes - Austin's long-term-hold model for funding new construction infill, inspired by Moses Kagan and ReSeed - Missing middle housing, walkability, and why a 30-unit townhome neighborhood can feel more like home than any class-A apartment building About the guest:...

#409 - Jason McCann - CEO @ Vari - How a Simple Product Became a Global Brand

Apr 7, 2026 1 hr 49 min

Today I sit down with Jason McCann, Co-Founder and CEO of Vari - a company that started when his business partner stood at a cardboard box complaining of back pain and turned that moment into a brand that has shipped millions of desks and transformed over a thousand offices. Jason built Vari direct-to-consumer in an industry that had never seen it. He bootstrapped the company while every instinct in the market said raise capital and burn cash. He became the fastest-growing company in Dallas, survived COVID after just putting $15 million into a TV campaign and opening 12 showrooms, and came out the other side as a fundamentally different leader. We go deep on what it actually takes to innovate legacy product categories, how he recruited the former Chief People Officer of Southwest Airlines over a cup of coffee, and why an introvert had to learn to over-communicate when hundreds of families were counting on him. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Links: Vari - https://www.vari.com/ Jason on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-mccann-vari/ Support our Sponsors Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:29) - How Vari was started(00:08:42) - How entrepreneurs should think about product development(00:11:24) - How Jason approaches AI(00:24:07) - Developing the standing desk(00:36:53) - Jason’s approach to manufacturing(00:47:16) - How Vari develops new products and services(00:56:59) - Bringing on the head of people of Southwest Airlines(01:04:31) - How Vari thinks about innovation vs. leaving products alone(01:14:55) - The future of work in 2026(01:19:50) - The reindustrialization of America(01:23:36) - Jason’s unique leadership style(01:28:47) - Why Jason only wears black(01:31:52) - What a week looks like for Jason(01:40:46) - How vari runs exec meetings Chris on Social Media: X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast Li...

#408 - Jordan Levi - The Largest Cattle Feeder In America

Mar 31, 2026 1 hr 43 min

In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Levi to explore how he’s built a unique edge in the cattle industry by combining deep analytical thinking with real-world market experience. Jordan walks me through how he approaches cattle trading, the key biological and financial variables that ultimately determine profit and loss, and how he developed his framework without growing up in the business. We spend time unpacking how the cattle market actually works, where volatility comes from, and how operators think about risk across the cycle. We also dive into how he’s embracing AI tools and building custom workflows to stay ahead in a fast-moving, data-heavy environment. We discuss: - How the cattle market works and why volatility creates both risk and opportunity - The key drivers of profitability including feed efficiency, average daily gain, and out weight - The difference between biological intuition and building a data-driven edge in cattle trading - How Jordan processes daily reports and market data to inform trading decisions - How he’s building AI agents to summarize information and streamline his workflow Links: Vote for Jordan to be inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame - https://cattlefeeders.org/poll/2027-cattle-feeders-hall-of-fame/ Jordan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-levi-b107182/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:16) - The Belted Galloway(00:03:51) - The Kosher Cowboy(00:08:05) - Pulling value of the futures forward(00:11:43) - Learning cattle trading(00:16:48) - Daily average gain in cattle(00:18:20) - Jordan’s eureka moment in the cattle industry(00:21:08) - What does trading in animals actually look like?(00:27:05) - How Jordan defines his ROI in trading cattle(00:31:17) - The cattle curve(00:33:37) - The state of the cattle market(00:42:10) - Buying the largest cattle feeder in the world(00:46:09) - Grass vs. grain-fed cattle(00:49:15) - Predictions for the cattle supply over the next 10 years(00:50:54) - The internat...

#407 - JB Mauney - The Greatest Bull Rider That Ever Lived

Mar 24, 2026 2 hr 55 min

In this episode, I sit down with JB Mauney to unpack the mindset, discipline, and resilience required to become one of the greatest bull riders in the world. We talk through the realities of competing at the highest level while constantly dealing with injuries, and how mental toughness separates the best from the rest. JB shares how he approached his career with a singular focus, what it meant to fully commit without a backup plan, and how he navigated the abrupt transition out of the sport. This conversation offers a raw look at what it takes to pursue excellence in one of the most physically and mentally demanding professions. We discuss: - The role of mental toughness in separating elite performers from the rest - Why riding through pain was a necessity, not a choice - The philosophy of “make plan A work” and going all in on one path - How injuries and setbacks compound over a long career - Transitioning out of a career with no clear backup plan Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:27) - What does it mean to “work bulls”?(00:06:23) - How can you tell if a bull is good?(00:11:35) - JB’s approach to bull riding(00:16:39) - JB’s early life and bull riding(00:23:07) - Being in control of a bull(00:28:00) - How bulls differ(00:32:07) - What’s happening in the chute?(00:40:44) - JB’s injury list(00:43:10) - What makes the difference between the top bull rider and the 50th best bull rider?(00:51:22) - Mental vs. physical technique(00:55:02) - How much do the bull fighters matter?(00:57:28) - Why causes a rider to be thrown off?(01:01:14) - Riding Bushwhacker and what makes the perfect bull(01:14:35) - When bulls die & retire(01:18:55) - BuckTown(01:22:12) - A typical week for a professional bull rider(01:23:37) - The lacerated liver story(01:30:58) - Why BuckTown is a bull rider’s paradise(01:36:24) - How riding is scored(01:43:43) - How do you “practice” bull riding?(01:51:16) - The cowboy code of riding(01:55:48) - Giving a bull a brand of honor(01:57:55) - How th...

#406 - Carl Edwards - From a $1,500 Race Car to the Hall of Fame (and Why He Walked Away)

Mar 17, 2026 1 hr 25 min

In this episode, I sit down with NASCAR legend Carl Edwards to explore the unlikely journey that took him from a dirt track in Missouri to the highest levels of professional racing. Carl shares how a childhood fascination with his father’s racing career sparked a relentless pursuit that eventually led to NASCAR success. Along the way, we unpack the strategy behind racing, the persistence it took for Carl to break into the sport, and the pivotal moments that defined his career. We also discuss the surprising decision to walk away from racing at the height of his career and the deeper personal transformation that followed. We discuss: - Carl’s early inspiration from watching his father race and the moment he knew he wanted to drive race cars - The persistence and unconventional path it took to break into professional racing and reach NASCAR - The strategic complexity of racing, from managing tire grip to communicating with engineers and crew - Why Carl chose to retire at the peak of his career and the realization that reshaped his priorities - The identity shift, spiritual journey, and life lessons that came after stepping away from racing Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:04:23) - Carl’s early days racing(00:09:37) - The strategy behind auto racing(00:13:05) - Why isn’t everyone driving a “1st place” car?(00:19:28) - How important is the pit crew?(00:22:13) - What does a typical week look like for a NASCAR driver?(00:23:56) - Carl’s career storyline(00:39:58) - The conversation that led Carl to consider walking away from the sport(00:51:50) - Rebuilding life after NASCAR(01:02:06) - The impact of Cloud Camp & John Marsh(01:17:08) - Being inducted into the NASCAR hall of fame(01:22:15) - What Carl is doing today Links: Carl's hall of fame speech - https://youtu.be/IQJHH2f9EnI Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://...

#405 - Christopher Zook - Founder of CAZ Investments - Building An $11B Alternative Investment Platform

Mar 10, 2026 1 hr 32 min

Today I sit down with Christopher Zook to explore how he built and scaled CAZ Investments into an $11B alternative investment platform. Christopher shares the early vision behind launching his firm at age 31 and the philosophy of investing his own capital first before inviting others to participate alongside him. We discuss how a chance confrontation in a country club locker room ultimately forced him to rethink capital formation and marketing, transforming the trajectory of the business. Christopher also breaks down the strategy behind GP stakes, the evolution of private markets, and why alignment with partners sits at the center of everything he does. We discuss: • How Christopher built an investment firm around the principle of investing his own capital first alongside partners • The locker room moment that forced a shift toward proactive capital formation and communication with investors • Designing an irresistible offer by eliminating management fees and aligning incentives entirely with investor outcomes • How GP stakes investing works and why it has become one of the most powerful business models in private markets • Why themes like media rights, private markets expansion, and access to alternatives are shaping the future of investing Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:53) - The origins of CAZ Investments(00:12:42) - Creating the irresistible offer(00:17:38) - Partnering with Tony Robbins(00:36:54) - GP stakes explained(00:41:48) - Secondary market edge(00:44:58) - How GP stakes are underwritten(00:49:48) - Tech and venture carry risk(00:53:12) - Consolidation trends(00:56:31) - Big checks and liquidity rights(01:02:18) - Thematic funds and investor access(01:07:04) - Alignment rules and guardrails(01:11:03) - Sports team investing thesis(01:15:54) - Media rights and league economics(01:26:11) - Democratizing alternatives Links: CAZ Investments -...

#404 - Chris Huckabee - Founder @ MORE Group - From Founder-Led to Private Equity Backed

Mar 3, 2026 1 hr 30 min

Today’s episode is with a great friend of mine, Chris Huckabee, Founder @ MORE Group. We unpack his company's remarkable private equity journey and why it was so successful. Chris shares how the unexpected loss of his business partner pushed him to rethink the future of his company, leading to a strategic shift, a private equity partnership, and rapid national expansion. We talk candidly about valuation surprises, building trust with employees during major transitions, and what makes a great private equity partner. Then we pivot to education reform, AI’s impact on schools, and the deeply personal story of how Chris helped lead the effort to rebuild Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX, after the tragic shooting. We discuss: • The process Chris went through to pursue private equity and national expansion • Why he told every employee about the strategic plan before making a deal • How to hire the right investment banker • The hard lessons around valuation, deal structure, and selecting the right private equity partner • What AI means for K–12 and higher education and where public education must improve • How he mobilized donors and contractors to rebuild Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX Links: MoreGroup - https://moregroup-inc.com/ Chris on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-huckabee-693a3a31/ Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Topics: (00:03:19) - Chris’ journey to finding Private Equity (00:09:27) - Strategic planning (00:11:31) - Valuing the business (00:14:36) - People don’t like change (00:17:43) - Making the decision to pursue PE (00:21:28) - Finding the right Investment Banker (00:37:26) - Selecting a buyer (00:44:44) - The first day after selling to PE (00:47:59) - Going out to buy companies (00:51:16) - What makes a great PE partner (00:57:08) - The state of Education and AI (01:13:16) - Rebuilding Robb Elementary in Uvalde after the 2022 shooting Chris on S...

#403 - Todd Peterson - A Message For Men

Feb 3, 2026 1 hr 27 min

I sit down with my friend Todd Peterson to unpack some of the most meaningful conversations we have had over the years about faith, leadership, marriage, and the hidden risks that come with success. We talk candidly about why so many men fall at the peak of their influence and how isolation, pride, and lack of accountability quietly take hold. Todd shares hard-earned perspective from his own life, including lessons from his NFL career, his walk with Jesus, and decades of mentoring men through seasons of growth and unraveling. This conversation is deeply personal, reflective, and grounded in the practical realities of what it means to live with humility, conviction, and purpose. We discuss: Why isolation and unchecked success often lead great men to fall The role of humility, confession, and accountability in long-term leadership How marriage and trusted relationships shape a man’s character and decisions The difference between being saved and actively walking in the Spirit Why meaningful impact is always built through collaboration, not independence This episode is for anyone wrestling with ambition, faith, leadership, or the desire to build a life that holds up over time. Todd Peterson is the interim CEO and Chairman Emeritus of Seed Company, a world leader in accelerated Scripture translation. Seed Company has partnered with more than 900 other agencies to cumulatively impact more than 1,100 language groups over the last 20 years. Peterson was drafted in 1993 by the NY Giants, leading to a 13-year career in the NFL where he also played for Seattle, Kansas City, San Francisco and Atlanta. He set a number of team records and two NFL records – one of which is since broken (most 40-plus-yard field goals in a season). He was named NFL True Value Man of the Year for the Seahawks in 1996 and twice received the NFL Players Association Byron “Whizzer” White award for excellence in character and leadership on his teams. He was twice nominated for the NFL...

#402 - Moses Kagan & Rhett Bennett - ReSeed Partners: Backing the Next Generation of Elite Real Estate Operators

Jan 27, 2026 1 hr 24 min

Today I sit down with two of my best friends, Moses Kagan and Rhett Bennett to reflect on how ReSeed has evolved since their first appearance (ep. 278) on the show three years ago. ReSeed is on a mission to back the next generation of elite real estate operators. We unpacked what has actually happened since launch, how their original vision has held up in practice, and what they have learned by deploying real capital across multiple markets and operators. We also dug into how they think about underwriting, operator selection, asset management intensity, and navigating a shifting multifamily landscape. It was a candid look at what it really takes to build a disciplined, long term real estate platform in today’s market. We discuss: • How ReSeed’s original thesis has played out after deploying over $100M across multiple operators • What they look for in emerging operators and how the cohort selection process has evolved • Why discipline and patience mattered during a slow deal environment and when opportunities finally opened up • How they approach underwriting, leverage, and long-duration capital in different markets • The realities of asset management, property management, and execution risk at smaller deal sizes This episode is for investors, operators, and anyone interested in building durable real estate businesses with long term alignment and disciplined capital deployment. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:04:01) - ReSeed's journey and evolution(00:17:14) - Profile and selection of operators(00:25:10) - Partnership and capital structure(00:37:39) - Due diligence and deal approval process(00:40:51) - Cohort integration and support(00:42:55) - Real estate market overview(00:43:22) - Market opportunities and challenges(00:50:41) - Market fatigue and seller dynamics(00:51:20) - Operational challenges and opportunities(01:01:50) - Property management and asset management(01:11:36) - Construction management and budgeting(01:15:06) - Capital allocation(01:23...

#401 - Ryan Heath - The Family Office 2.0: How Great Families Grow & Protect Their Legacy

Dec 30, 2025 1 hr 37 min

In today’s episode, I sit down with Ryan Heath, Founder of Trustpoint Legal, to explore what a modern “Family Office 2.0” actually looks like and why the old models are falling short. We talk about how family offices are evolving from static wealth preservation vehicles into operating businesses built around people, purpose, and multi-generational decision making. Ryan shares lessons from working closely with families navigating liquidity events, succession, and generational transitions, and why flexibility and intentional design matter more than rigid structures. The conversation centers on treating the family office as a living organization, not just a collection of legal documents. Many can relate to putting in strategic plans for their businesses, their health, etc. What’s funny is we often don’t put the same planning into what’s most important to us - our family. Ryan is on a mission to help families change that. We discuss: What defines a Family Office 2.0 and how it differs from traditional family office models Why legacy, values, and human dynamics drive long-term outcomes more than tax efficiency How flexible mandates help families adapt as generations, priorities, and circumstances change The risks of poor communication and rushed planning during liquidity events or succession How intentional family meetings and shared mission statements strengthen multi-generational alignment This episode is especially valuable for founders and families rethinking how to structure wealth, leadership, and legacy in a way that actually works across generations. Links: Ryan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanheath1/ TrustPoint Legal - https://www.trustpointlegal.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:05:11) - Legacy over wealth(00:09:04) - Flexibility in estate planning(00:18:25) - The importance of transparency(00:27:22) - Handling family conflicts(00:42:00) - Proactive planning and transparency(00:52:15) - The silver tsunami and trusts for...

#400 - Steve Gatena - Co-Founder & CEO @ Pray.com - God, A Revival, Rescuing Lost Men, & Building A Generational Company

Dec 23, 2025 1 hr 29 min

Today, I sit down with Steve Gatena, Co-Founder & CEO of PRAY, for a conversation about faith, leadership, and building a company with long-term purpose. Steve shares his journey from growing up in Los Angeles and playing college football at USC to founding Pray.com and thinking deeply about stewardship, culture, and responsibility. We talk about what it means to lead in moments of tragedy, why community matters more than ever, and how faith intersects with modern business and technology. Throughout the episode, Steve offers a candid look at the frameworks and principles that guide his decisions. We discuss: • Steve’s early life, football career, and the turning points that reshaped his path • Why Hollywood often resists faith and what cultural shifts Steve sees happening today • The “Mission, Team, Self” framework, and how it applies to leadership and decision making • Building Pray.com as a sustainable platform across software, media, and subscriptions • The importance of strong men, building community, and taking accountability Links: Pray.com - https://www.pray.com/ Platform Revolution by Geoffrey G. Parker - https://a.co/d/1aNzUXU Steve on X - https://x.com/SteveGatena Topics: 00:00 - Intro03:21 - Charlie Sheen and Hollywood vs. Christianity10:57 - Pray.com since Charlie Kirk’s death13:35 - The journey to becoming a hope dealer19:20 - Lessons playing football for Pete Carroll23:58 - Developing the Mission, Team, Self framework33:26 - The America Prays initiative41:49 - Rescuing men01:05:37 - How do you know if Pray.com is successful?01:17:13 - Building a customer data platform01:25:14 - How do you know if you’re being a successful CEO? Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our websi...

#399 - Colt McCoy - The Story

Dec 9, 2025 1 hr 48 min

Today, my good friend Colt McCoy joins me for a deep and personal discussion about his path from small-town Texas to 14 seasons in the NFL, the mentors and moments that shaped him, and the intentional process of stepping away from the game. We talk through his early years growing up on the sidelines, the day he went from being a complete unknown to over 100 Division 1 offers, and the mindset he built while earning the starting job and leading Texas to the National Championship. Colt reflects on the physical and emotional toll of the 2009 title-game injury, the realities of NFL life, and the teammates, coaches, and owners who influenced him most. He also opens up about the year-long discernment process that led him to retire, move his family to Fort Worth, and build a new career in real estate. We discuss: • Colt’s early upbringing around football and how it shaped his identity • Winning the starting job, leading Texas for four seasons, and the highs and lows along the way • The 2009 national championship injury and its lasting impact • Lessons from 14 years in the NFL, including leadership, longevity, and adapting his game • His decision to retire, prioritize family, and pursue a new path in Fort Worth real estate • The role of faith, patience, and discernment in navigating major life transitions Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Links: Colt on X - https://x.com/ColtMcCoy Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:51) - The realities of working for ESPN and calling games (00:11:15) - Colt’s earliest memories of football (00:18:31) - The impact of Colt’s dad (00:22:45) - Earning a scholarship to The University of Texas (00:34:34) - Colt’s career at UT (00:47:32) - Colt’s greatest memory at UT (00:57:43) - The state of College football (00:58:40) - The Michael Crabtree story (01:04:27) - The toughest environments to play in (01:06:24) - Colt’s NFL career (01:08:58) - The biggest...

#398 - Cody Campbell - Saving College Sports, NIL, & A $7B Opportunity

Nov 18, 2025 56 min

Today's guest, Cody Campbell, digs into the forces reshaping college athletics and his plan to ensure a solution that works for every stakeholder. We discuss: • How changing laws and court decisions created a brief window for Tech to act boldly • Why Texas Tech’s culture, alumni base, and momentum made the strategy work • How court rulings displaced the NCAA and fueled today’s chaotic environment • The financial strain on athletic departments and the risk posed to Olympic and women’s sports • The influence of commissioners, media companies, and private equity on the future of the system • Cody’s vision for reform and why federal action is the only path to long-term stability Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:00) - Transforming Texas Tech in the NIL era (00:05:11) - The strategy for acquiring talent (00:12:38) - Legal changes and their impact on college sports (00:19:43) - The financial realities of college athletics (00:29:35) - The need for unified media rights in college sports (00:33:07) - Fan engagement and conference dynamics (00:35:05) - Private equity in college sports (00:39:30) - Challenges with NIL and enforcement (00:44:28) - Proposed solutions for college sports (00:48:50) - The role of government and leadership (00:52:47) - Cultural importance of college sports Links: Cody on X - https://x.com/CodyC64 Support our Sponsors Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: ⁠https://collateral.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: ⁠https://x.com/fortworthchris⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3oynxNX⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://www.powerspod.com/⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠ POWERS is produced by ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/⁠

#397 - Wiley Curran - Co-Founder @ CPC - Building A Perpetual Holding Company Of Lower Middle Market Businesses

Oct 28, 2025 1 hr 22 min

Today, I sit down with my good friend Wiley Curran to break down the story behind CPC, a family-built perpetual holding company that buys and holds businesses indefinitely. We also discuss how CPC approaches acquisitions, management incentives, and organizational design to create enduring value across industries. We discuss: The evolution of CPC from a family chemicals business to a multi-company holding group Why long-term ownership outperforms short-term investing strategies How to build companies around customer intimacy and employee satisfaction The “five key battles” CPC uses to evaluate and improve every business Lessons learned from buying, integrating, and supporting 14 companies over time Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:12) - Running a CEO search (00:08:26) - The story behind CPC (00:23:39) - The importance of customer intimacy (00:37:02) - CPC's long-term vision and employee engagement (00:40:33) - Executive ownership and equity (00:41:29) - Structuring equity buyouts (00:42:58) - Valuation and liquidity rights (00:44:49) - Investment strategy and business acquisition (00:47:11) - Sourcing and evaluating business opportunities (00:50:14) - Onboarding and integration of new businesses (01:03:09) - Customer lifetime value and profitability (01:09:13) - Board meetings and CEO summits (01:14:36) - AI experiments and business impact (01:18:30) - Future vision and personal goals Support our Sponsors Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/fort⁠ Collateral Partners: ⁠https://collateral.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: ⁠https://x.com/fortworthchris⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3oynxNX⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://www.powerspod.com/⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠ POWERS is produced by ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/⁠

#396 - Jason Illian - Co-Founder @ Highmount Capital - Eternal Thinking

Oct 21, 2025 1 hr 21 min

Today’s guest is my good friend Jason Illian, Co-Founder @ Highmount Capital. Jason returns to the show for a meaningful conversation about faith, fatherhood, leadership, and living with eternal purpose. We explore how Jason integrates ministry into his home and family life, using sports as a vehicle to teach character and faith. He shares how he and his wife intentionally guide their children through social pressures, technology, and success, and how his approach to leadership, both at home and in business, is grounded in biblical truth. Together, we unpack what it means to lead a family, resist cultural distractions, and build a legacy that lasts beyond material success. We discuss: How Jason uses sports and family life as everyday ministry The challenges of parenting in a tech-saturated world Why true leadership requires being both prophet, priest, and king The cultural impact of Dude Perfect and the rise of faith-driven media How to shift from chasing empires to leaving lasting legacies Links: Dude Perfect Highmount Capital Jason on X Support our Sponsors: Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Vesto: https://www.vesto.com/fort Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:07) - Balancing family and ministry (00:04:02) - Raising intentional kids (00:12:10) - The role of fathers in spiritual leadership (00:18:23) - Navigating technology and social media (00:39:38) - Dude Perfect's positive influence (00:43:17) - The revival of good content (00:44:43) - Fear and cultural moments (00:45:50) - The role of Christians in society (00:49:09) - Hope for the future (00:50:29) - Leaving a legacy vs. building an empire (00:51:07) - Making intentional choices (00:54:34) - The importance of accountability (01:02:21) - The eternal perspective (01:12:09) - The impact of truth and integrity (01:19:40) - Final thoughts and encouragement Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast/ ...

Fearless Decision Making - Jamie Winship - Replay

Oct 7, 2025 1 hr 17 min

Jamie Winship has decades of experience bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world’s highest conflict areas. After a distinguished career in law enforcement in the metro Washington D.C. area, Jamie earned an M.A. in English and developed a unique process of resolving inner conflict that results in the ability to lead and innovate from a position of authenticity and freedom. His unconventional efforts to bring about societal and racial reconciliation led him to Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, and back to the U.S. We discuss: How to discover your true identity Separation and Connection world views Jamie’s experiences working in the Middle East Bringing terrorists to the US and converting them to Christianity ⁠We'd appreciate you filling out our audience survey, so we can continuously work on providing relevant content to our listeners.⁠ https://www.thefortpod.com/survey Links ⁠Jamie's website⁠ ⁠Living Fearless by Jamie Winship⁠ ⁠Identity Exchange⁠ ⁠Finding Hope in Depression⁠ Topics (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:37) - Jamie’s background and upbringing (00:04:31) - Being recruited into the CIA (00:10:25) - What is identity? (00:14:14) - How can I discover my true identity? (00:26:14) - Separation vs. connection world views (00:34:23) - Jamie’s experiences working in the Middle East (00:51:37) - How to change the mentality of another person (01:05:12) - Bringing Palestinian terrorists to a Christian men’s retreat Chris on Social Media: X: ⁠https://bit.ly/3BYIjcH⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch The POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Powerspod Visit our website: ⁠https://bit.ly/43SOvys⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠ This episode originally aired on February 20th, 2024 The FORT is produced by ⁠Johnny Podcasts

#395 - Scott Arnoldy - Founder & CEO @ Triten RE Partners - Scaling to $1.5B+ Across Multiple Cycles and Asset Classes

Sep 30, 2025 1 hr 10 min

Today I’m I sitting down with Scott Arnoldy, Founder & CEO of Triten RE Partners, to explore his journey from the frothy real estate markets of the mid-2000s to building Triten into a multi-vertical investment and development firm with ~$2B in investment volume. We talk about the lessons he learned at Goldman and Stockbridge during the GFC, the early days of striking out on his own, and how he’s evolved from being a dealmaker to focusing on building a scalable business. Scott shares his perspective on industrial outdoor storage, multifamily opportunities, and why leadership and team building have become his greatest priorities. We discuss: How the leverage-driven deals of the mid-2000s shaped Scott’s risk mindset The transition from opportunistic projects to building a long-term business with structure and focus The evolution of Triten’s investment approach, from value-add office to iOS and multifamily Why storytelling and clarity matter as much as numbers when raising capital Perspectives on the current real estate cycle, market uncertainty, and where compelling opportunities exist today Links: Triten RE Partners - https://www.tritenre.com/ Scott on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottarnoldy/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:35) - Scott's early career and real estate insights (00:13:04) - Navigating the 2008 financial crisis (00:19:27) - Starting a real estate firm: Challenges and lessons (00:30:41) - Building a successful real estate business (00:37:23) - Sheds and beds (00:38:53) - The role of investment committees (00:41:15) - Leveraging technology in real estate (00:46:24) - The importance of storytelling in deals (00:48:56) - The rise of industrial outdoor storage (iOS) (00:58:21) - Current real estate market analysis (01:01:33) - Looking ahead & future predictions Support our Sponsors Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchr...

#394 - Alex Robinson - Co- Founder & CEO @ Juniper Square - The New Survival Code for GPs (Private Markets Are Rapidly Being Disrupted)

Sep 23, 2025 1 hr 1 min

In today’s episode, I sit down with Juniper Square Co-Founder & CEO Alex Robinson for a conversation on the seismic shifts reshaping private markets and the future of investing. We dig into the impact of interest rate changes, the rise of retail investors, and why GPs face both opportunity and disruption in today’s environment. We also go deep on artificial intelligence, how it’s already transforming knowledge work, and the role it will play in redefining private market operations. Alex shares both a macro view of these changes and the mindset he’s using as a CEO to navigate them inside Juniper Square. We discuss: - How rising rates have affected private credit, real estate, and venture capital differently - Why retail investors will be a defining force in the next decade of private markets - The tension between becoming a mega-cap manager or staying a differentiated sharpshooter -Why liquidity is one of the hardest challenges to solve for private investors - How AI will fundamentally rewire every role inside a GP and beyond Links: Alex on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrob22/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:43) - The state of the private markets (00:16:35) - How Juniper Square is tackling LP Liquidity simplification (00:24:48) - The state of AI (00:34:27) - How AI will impact the typical GP (00:40:52) - Alex’s perspective on AI as a CEO (00:52:28) - Building JunieAI Support our Sponsors Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/fort Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/ Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/

#393 - Alex Nyhan - CEO @ First Washington Realty - $9B Portfolio: How Neighborhood Centers Became the Most Resilient Asset in Real Estate

Sep 16, 2025 1 hr 5 min

Alex Nyhan is the CEO of First Washington Realty and an owner in FWR's entities. FWR owns interests in and manages approximately $9 billion of top-quality grocery-anchored shopping centers across the United States. Alex is one of the sharpest minds in real estate and this episode is proof of that. I’ve had the good fortune of learning from Alex for many years and is someone who always brings good insight. We discuss: - Lessons from structuring complicated public-private development projects - The investment philosophy behind First Washington’s 22 million square feet of neighborhood retail - Why grocery-anchored shopping centers have proven so resilient - How demographics, education levels, and supply constraints shape long-term value - The role of relationships and human connection in both tenant selection and consumer experience Links: First Washington Realty - https://www.firstwash.com/ Alex on LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/alex-nyhan-b2b4914/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:02) - Alex’s background and early career (00:15:19) - Alex’s DC Convention Center Hotel project (00:23:32) - First Washington Realty overview (00:25:25) - Investment strategy and deal selection (00:29:21) - Focus on grocery-anchored shopping centers (00:31:05) - Case study: Kansas City suburbs (00:32:04) - Navigating supply constraints (00:32:34) - The resilience of retail in the e-commerce era (00:33:20) - The impact of e-commerce on malls and neighborhood centers (00:35:11) - The competitive landscape of retail investments (00:39:05) - Risk management in retail deals during COVID (00:41:38) - The value of tenant relationships in retail (00:44:49) - Balancing risk with mom and pop tenants (00:50:14) - The importance of education and demographics in retail (00:52:51) - Government intervention and retail development (00:57:04) - Consumer spending trends and market dynamics (01:02:10) - The role of human interaction in retail success (01:04:21) - Concluding thoughts on retail...

#392 - Jason Baxter - Co-Founder @ Fostr AI - What Elite CEOs Know About AI That Others Don’t

Sep 4, 2025 1 hr 2 min

My Co-Founder, Jason Baxter, joins me once again to discuss the growth at FOSTR and how our team is thinking about the future of AI inside companies. Since our last conversation, Jason has sharpened his perspective on where the real value lies for businesses—moving beyond surface-level AI use cases to building the infrastructure that allows organizations to actually compound knowledge over time. We dig into how FOSTR is solving the data problem, why knowledge graphs are critical, and what it means for the next wave of AI adoption in business. We discuss: Why messy data is the biggest barrier for companies adopting AI The role of knowledge graphs in creating context and compounding company knowledge Why CEOs need to think about AI as infrastructure, not just a tool What’s next for FOSTR as it rolls out to more companies Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:52) - How FOSTR has evolved since the last time Jason was on the show (00:10:02) - FOSTR’s infrastructure stack (00:21:51) - The importance of clean data (00:28:03) - FOSTR’s Knowledge graph (00:44:00) - How FOSTR would work in a Real Estate Brokerage firm (00:49:34) - Who owns the data? (00:57:34) - What’s coming from FOSTR in the next 45-60 days Links: Request early access to FOSTR - https://fostrai.com/ Reach out to ceonetwork@fostrai.com for notifications on the Slack Community Launch Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast/ Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/ Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/

#391 - Chad Lavender - President of Capital Markets, North America @ Newmark

Sep 2, 2025 1 hr 5 min

Chad Lavender is the President of Capital Markets - North America @ Newmark. In this episode we talk about his journey through commercial real estate, from starting out in development during the 2008 financial crisis to building one of the leading senior housing brokerage and advisory practices in the country. We cover how he navigated tough markets early in his career, the lessons he learned from cold calling legends of the industry, and the growth of alternative asset classes like senior housing, medical office, and data centers. Chad also shares his perspective on current real estate markets, from multifamily and industrial to the resurgence of office and the expansion of build-to-rent housing. We discuss: Starting in high-rise development in 2008 and learning through the downturn Building a senior housing brokerage business from scratch and winning early deals with Starwood and Carlisle Moving from ARA to HFF to Newmark and helping create the alternative assets platform How recruiting, persistence, and long-term relationships drive success in brokerage Current insights on data centers, senior housing, office recovery, build-to-rent, and industrial demand Links: Newmark - https://www.nmrk.com/ Chad on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-lavender-03551bb/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:22) - Chad’s career and background (00:06:39) - The rise of Alabama in real estate (00:09:24) - Breaking into the multifamily market (00:11:42) - Building a seniors housing brokerage team (00:20:13) - The evolution of senior housing (00:27:27) - Joining Newmark and leading alternative assets (00:34:35) - The power of passion and persistence (00:37:49) - Winning business (00:40:36) - Data centers and infrastructure (00:46:37) - The office market rebound (00:51:45) - Build-to-rent trends and challenges (00:57:46) - Capital markets and future outlook (01:05:04) - Final thoughts Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort Collateral Partners: https://...

#390 - Barrett Linburg - Founder @ Savoy Equity Partners - Big Beautiful Opportunity Zones

Aug 26, 2025 1 hr 5 min

We welcome back Barrett Linburg to the podcast for a deep dive into the evolution of Opportunity Zones and also his firm, Savoy. Barrett shares how his focus on Opportunity Zone projects has shaped Savoy, why these tax-incentivized investments are so compelling for long-term real estate strategies, and how his team has expanded into property management, construction, and development. The discussion also highlights the transformation of Dallas neighborhoods, navigating legislation, and lessons learned from working with contractors and city partnerships. We discuss: How Barrett discovered opportunity zones and built a firm around them The redevelopment of Bishop Ridge in Dallas and the strategy behind choosing locations Key changes from Opportunity Zone 1.0 to 2.0 and what they mean for investors Building out complementary businesses in property management, renovations, and construction Combining opportunity zones with PFC structures to maximize returns and affordability Links Barrett on X - https://x.com/DallasAptGP Barrett on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrett-linburg-32070310/ Savoy Equity Partners - https://savoyequity.com/ Barrett’s first appearance on the show - https://youtu.be/6WkWK3BldgI Topics (00:00:00) - Intro (00:05:52) - Barrett's real estate journey (00:07:12) - Opportunity zones in practice (00:21:08) - Case study: Bishop Ridge (00:26:21) - Future of opportunity zones (00:34:51) - Understanding OZ tax benefits (00:35:16) - Clarifying misconceptions about OZ investments (00:36:55) - Step up in basis explained (00:38:46) - Investing in opportunity zone businesses (00:43:47) - Challenges with general contractors (00:48:42) - Expanding Savoy Equity Partners (00:58:31) - Navigating PFC and OZ deals (01:04:33) - Conclusion and contact information Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Vesto: https://www.vesto.com/fort Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.co...

#389 - Imran Khan - Founder @ Proem Asset Mgmt - Investing In The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Jun 24, 2025 55 min

Imran Khan is the Founder at Proem Asset Management. In this episode we explore the arc of his remarkable career—from his early days as one of Wall Street’s top-ranked analysts to leading global IPOs and eventually launching his own hedge fund. We discuss: - Why gross margins are a critical indicator of fundamental shifts in a business - How he met Joe Tsai and helped lead Alibaba’s record-setting IPO - The vision Evan Spiegel had that made Snap a generational product - His criteria for identifying high-quality public companies and warning signs to avoid - How private market hype has skewed investor incentives—and why that might be changing Links: Proem Asset Management - https://www.proemasset.com/ Imran on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dotkhan/ Imran on X - https://x.com/dottkhan Support our Sponsors: Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort Vesto: https://www.vesto.com/fort BetterPitch: https://bit.ly/42d9L0I Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:17) - Becoming a great research analyst (00:06:44) - The difficulty in controlling gross margins (00:08:25) - How to research companies to invest in (00:12:53) - Are there similarities today in technology to the 2001 tech bubble? (00:17:11) - The state of AI investing (00:20:04) - The America/China AI race (00:23:26) - Imran’s experience with Alibaba (00:26:26) - The state of China’s inevitability (00:31:11) - Imran’s experience working at Snap (00:39:09) - Leaving Snap (00:40:26) - Imran’s fund structure (00:43:00) - Being drawn to bias (00:45:05) - Mercenaries vs. missionaries (00:47:07) - The market likes to fool the greatest number of people (00:50:18) - The pendulum of private and public market investing Chris on Social Media: The Fort Podcast on Twitter/X: https://x.com/theFORTpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd Watch The Fort on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://bit.ly/43SOvys Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/4...

#388 - Mark Toro - CVO @ Toro Development Co. - Developing Generational Mixed Use "Fortresses"

Jun 17, 2025 1 hr 13 min

Today’s guest is Mark Toro, Chief Vision Officer @ Toro Development Co, based in Atlanta, GA. Mark unpacks the philosophy, economics, and human-centered detail behind some of the most successful mixed-use developments in the country. We talk through his journey from building suburban power centers to pioneering immersive experiences like Avalon, Colony Square, and the upcoming Medley. Mark shares how the 2008 financial crisis sparked his rethinking of real estate as a service business rather than just a physical asset—and how ideas like hospitality, branding, and community integration became central to his playbook. This episode is packed with specific examples, war stories, and lessons on what it really takes to develop places people never want to leave. We discuss: - Why demographics and household income drive everything in site selection - How do vertically integrated, mixed-use developments function financially and operationally - The importance of patios, music, and concierge-level service in creating “third places” - Why tenant selection is both science and art—and what betting on the right jockey really means - How a bottle of tequila became a company tradition symbolizing intentionality and pride in execution Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:43) - Mark’s career and background (00:08:03) - The gutted middle in retail (00:09:38) - Site selection criteria for a “fortress” (00:18:45) - Seamless integration (00:26:27) - The art of pitching tenants (00:31:42) - Mark’s approach to “opening” dates (00:33:28) - Betting the farm on tenants (00:35:46) - Office (00:40:18) - Parking strategies (00:41:51) - Hospitality vs. real estate (00:45:23) - Being Disney-esque (00:49:22) - Low-hanging fruit that properties can implement today (00:54:17) - Marketing funds (00:57:55) - Equity partners (00:58:56) - Why isn’t this model scalable? (01:04:10) - How much more profitable can a fortress be than other mixed-use areas (01:07:12) - Eric Weatherholtz & extending...

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Podcast details

Created by: Chris Powers
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 11, 2026
Episodes: 431
Release period: Weekly
Avg. episode length: 1 hr 18 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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