On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Matt Star — real estate investor, creative-finance educator, and founder of the Telos multifamily mastermind. Matt shares a remarkable testimony: from an immigrant kid told by his doctor he'd die of obesity, to losing 125 pounds, to letting arrogance and a transactional mindset cost him everything and leave him homeless. Anchored in a new faith, he built 130 single-family deals, pivoted to multifamily (now 370 doors), and found his footing by serving others in the Sub To community. Matt unpacks what investors really trust him with, why the best deals are the ones you don't do, and how to run a business as an act of worship.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Ryan Carriere, CPA and founder of Carriere Tax Consulting, who estimates he's saved clients over $10 million in taxes. Ryan traces his path from corporate accounting to real estate investing and tax advisory, and shares the strategies he uses for high-income earners — the short-term rental strategy, real estate professional status, cost segregation, and more. He also opens up about his faith: how Ephesians 2 made grace real to him as a gift rather than works, why he left a respected firm for "three freedoms," and how he views tax savings through a lens of stewardship. Practical, faith-centered, and full of actionable ideas.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Dani Lynn Robison, CEO and founder of Freedom Family Investments. Dani traces an unlikely path — from professional musician to Walt Disney World, cruise ships, and art auctions, to falling in love with real estate in 2008 (and with her husband "Flip" along the way). She explains why she scaled back turnkey rentals for needs-based syndications in senior housing, multifamily, and self-storage, and why character and trust matter more than any pitch deck. Dani shares her "Five A's" for vetting a deal, why she once took a loss to make lenders whole, and how "return on life" should guide every dollar. A candid conversation on trust-driven investing.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Jeff Hasselman — who built a multibillion-dollar crypto business line at Amazon Web Services and now runs 926 Ventures and Kingdom Bitcoin, a faith-forward platform on money, sovereignty, and biblical stewardship. Jeff shares why he stepped aside from a startup to protect his team, how his faith deepened over the years, and why he views Bitcoin through the lens of Proverbs 11 and "honest money." He unpacks inflation, the parable of the talents, why he calls Bitcoin "repentance, not rebellion," and how he thinks about legacy. A thought-provoking conversation on faith, money, and stewardship. (Educational only — not financial advice.)

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Alan Fruitman, founder of 1031tax.com and president of Real Estate Foundation, who has spent 33 years specializing in single-tenant, triple-net-lease real estate. Alan explains why chasing yield means chasing risk, and why quality — the best location and a national-credit tenant like McDonald's or Chase — builds lasting wealth. He breaks down why truly passive income is real, how to avoid the emotional trap of the 1031 exchange's 45-day window with his "green light day" strategy, which tenants are AI- and Amazon-proof, and why "boring" singles and doubles beat swinging for home runs. A grounded conversation on preserving wealth.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall sits down with Zach, founder and CEO of Rise 48 Equity, for the story behind the company. Zach shares how he walked away from a $200K job in 2018 with no roadmap, lost his identity, and was drawn back to his faith through adversity and his now-wife Grace. He opens up about his daily prayer of gratitude and surrender, the "warrior" mindset that shapes how he leads, the company's five core values, and why he believes suffering is beautiful. He also talks candidly about facing public criticism and what God is teaching him right now. A raw, faith-centered look at building through hardship.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Jennifer Tuggle — a 19-year ER nurse and single mother of three who is transitioning into multifamily syndication and capital raising. Jennifer shares the resilience she built working her way through nursing school while raising her kids, and how that same grit fuels her real estate journey. She explains why being a limited partner is often smarter than chasing the GP role, the surprising skills nursing transfers to investing, how she demystifies syndications, and the mistakes new investors make. Above all, she confronts the biggest lie that holds people back: "I can't do it." An encouraging conversation about reinvention and financial freedom.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall reconnects with his friend Max Herman — a Salesforce account executive and co-founder of Catapult Careers. Max traces an unlikely path: a disqualified Air Force dream, coming to faith through Campus Outreach, and a winding climb through tech sales. He shares how he makes big decisions, why he built a personal "board of directors," and the origin of Catapult Careers after applying to 228 jobs. The heart of the episode is a watershed moment as the last-place seller at Sprout Social, when a coworker prayed over deals by name and reminded him: you are not the provider. A rich conversation on faith, work, and legacy.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Efri Argaman, founder and CEO of OwnEZ, a data-driven fintech company working to democratize homeownership. An economist who became an accidental landlord after the '07–'08 crisis, Efri built OwnEZ to convert "chronic renters" — people who can afford a home but are shut out of conventional lending — into homeowners. He explains why the credit system excludes gig workers, the self-employed, and thin-credit borrowers, how OwnEZ's algorithm underwrites on more relevant data, and why he calls his fund the "sexiest non-sexy investment" — a non-correlated, mortgage-backed vehicle yielding around 9%. Plus candid advice for parents and young buyers.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Keegan O'Connor, co-founder and CEO of Chill Shark, a wellness-tech company building portable cold-plunge chiller systems. Keegan shares how cold water immersion helped regulate his nervous system after a PTSD treatment program, why he funded the first clinical research on cold water immersion for PTSD, and how the company uses luxury hospitality to fund a mission of helping veterans. He also opens up about walking away from his faith, being drawn back by his brother's peace, and learning to surrender his business to God. A candid conversation on pain, purpose, and building with integrity. (Note: discusses PTSD, trauma, and veteran suicide.)

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Anthony Rushing — former educator, 40-unit real estate investor, and mortgage professional — about a little-known strategy: the first lien HELOC. Anthony traces his unusual path from quitting college for a rock band to Teach for America to the mortgage industry, where he discovered a product that's common in Australia and Europe but rarely discussed in the U.S. He breaks down, in plain terms, how a first lien HELOC replaces your mortgage entirely, why it can pay a home off in years instead of decades, who it actually works for, and how it can free up liquidity to start investing. A genuinely educational conversation on using debt as a tool.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Andrew McNair, founder and CEO of Swan Capital (Sleep Well At Night) in Pensacola, Florida, a firm managing north of $300 million. A self-described "generosity evangelist" who has made and lost millions, Andrew makes the case that a fulfilled life isn't about accumulating — it's about giving it away. He unpacks his 10/20/70 framework, a controversial take on estate planning, how he weaves faith and giving into his company, and how to model generosity so it passes to the next generation. A challenging, practical conversation on money, stewardship, and legacy.

In this forum episode of the On The Rise Podcast, Jeremy Dyer, VP of Capital Formation at Rise 48, welcomes Tommy Hinson, CEO of Investors 1031 Exchange, for a plain-English walkthrough of the 1031 exchange. Tommy explains how investors defer capital gains by rolling real estate into more real estate — "swap till you drop" — until a stepped-up basis erases the tax at death. The session covers the types of exchanges, the same-taxpayer rule and why partnerships cause problems, the 45- and 180-day deadlines, reinvesting 100% of equity, TIC and DST structures, the 721 UPREIT endgame, and a case study showing how much you lose by skipping a 1031. A practical primer for real estate investors.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast's Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall talks with Scott Wilson — general partner of Beyond Capital Funds, SVP at Churchill Terry, and a self-described "ragamuffin" of growth, health, and recovery. Scott opens up about the years his faith and work lived in separate rooms, his struggle with alcohol, and the sobriety journey that led to his baptism in a cold Texas river in 2016. He shares how he came to faith-based venture capital, the founders and companies he backs, and why he now weighs "return on impact" alongside return on investment. A moving conversation on brokenness, redemption, and integrating faith into work. (Note: this episode discusses addiction and recovery.)

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Tony Figliola, founder of Passive Investment Pros, who helps engineers and technical professionals diversify beyond the stock market into private multifamily real estate. A mechanical engineer himself, Tony shares how he moved from trying to operate deals solo to building a rigorous vetting process for investing passively. The conversation digs into the non-negotiables when evaluating operators and deals, the assumptions that make pro formas unrealistic, why analysis paralysis holds smart investors back, and how retirement accounts can be repositioned into real estate. A practical listen for analytical investors weighing their first passive deal.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Nick Stromwall talks with Frank Herman, CEO of Premium Holdings and a multifamily and student-housing investor, for the Faith Driven Leaders series. Frank shares how he left a 16-year residential career in Silicon Valley, moved his family to the South, and lived in a hotel for six months while stepping out on faith. He tells two contrasting stories — a costly deal he pursued after ignoring God's warning, and a 216-unit deal he prayed God would shut the door on, which went full cycle at nearly 2.5x in 18 months. A candid conversation on obedience, integrating faith and work, and using business as a tool for the kingdom.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy Dyer talks with Bob Bernotas, a franchise veteran who's worked every side of the industry since 1986 — multi-unit owner-operator, franchise CEO, and growth advisor. Bob helps corporate professionals build wealth through smart, semi-passive franchise ownership. He unpacks the biggest misconceptions high earners have, why you should only invest behind strong franchise sales organizations and brand aggregators, and why timing is franchising's "dirty little secret." The conversation covers building an exit strategy from day one, why boring service businesses outperform flashy brands, and financing options like the ROBS program. A practical roadmap for anyone eyeing an eventual exit from corporate America.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Nick Stromwall talks with Robert Szewczyk, co-founder and designated broker of Rise 48 Equity, for the Faith Driven Leaders series. Robert shares his journey from growing up in communist Poland — where scarcity bred a lifelong hustle — to earning architecture degrees and building a billion-dollar multifamily portfolio. He explains how he met his partners, why the team vertically integrated, and how faith shapes the way he leads investors, employees, and residents. The conversation goes deep on housing as service, the lessons only hard markets teach, and staying honest when it's hardest. A candid, faith-centered look at building with integrity.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Jeremy sits down with Tom Suvansri, founder of Perennial Pride, who helps high-income earners and business owners deploy capital into tax-efficient real estate and private investments. Tom shares how he became a "corporate refugee," why mainstream financial advice leaves most people boxed into deferral-only strategies, and how changing your facts can legally change your taxes. The conversation digs into what generational wealth actually requires beyond a will, how active earners should balance liquidity against illiquid real estate, vetting operators over pitch decks, and why last-minute year-end tax investing so often backfires. A practical listen for anyone rethinking how they build and protect wealth.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Nick Stromwall talks with Matt Johns, managing partner of Honey Hive Capital, where he helps Christian investors put their capital to work in ways that line up with their faith. Matt traces his path from a soup kitchen and Catholic Charities into private-market finance, and explains why ESG left him searching for real, measurable outcomes. He breaks down the framework from his book Purpose Driven Capital — stewardship, empowerment, and alignment — and shows how the "spirit behind" a real estate deal shapes how residents are treated. A thoughtful conversation on impact investing, community, and why no investment is truly neutral.