Be Someone Podcast

Join Michael Hoang & his friends and learn how you can become a Real Estate investors.

Be Someone Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Michael Hoang, with 22 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Michael Hoang hosts Be Someone Podcast, a business show with 22 episodes published.

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  Episode #43

  Episode 43:Rick Howell: How to Build a Real Estate Business Around Freedom, Deals & Systems

  Oct 2, 20261h 23m

  In this episode of the Get Wealth Show , Michael Hoang sits down with seasoned real estate investor Rick Howell , who has been investing since 2010 across Northwest Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. Rick's journey started far from real estate. He became a union electrician after having his son at 17 and spent years working in the trades. When layoffs threatened his livelihood during the 2008–2010 downturn, a coworker introduced him to Rich Dad Poor Dad . That book opened Rick's eyes to financial literacy and eventually pushed him toward his first real estate investment. His first flip wasn't glamorous. Rick and his partner used home equity lines of credit to purchase a $45,000 property, handled much of the renovation themselves, rejected an early offer, held the property for six months, and ultimately walked away splitting only about $7,000 in profit. But every mistake became part of Rick's education. Today, Rick operates a lifestyle-focused real estate business with his family, maintains a portfolio of approximately 30 doors , regularly manages multiple flips, and uses a combination of rehabbing, rentals, listings, auctions, and other exit strategies to monetize opportunities. Rick and Michael dive deep into contractor management, private and hard money, BRRRR investing, finding deals, choosing profitable price points, avoiding costly virtual-flipping mistakes, building a local brand, TV advertising, speed-to-lead, and creating systems that give an investor more freedom instead of simply creating another job. The biggest message of the episode is simple: don't obsess over a particular exit strategy—become great at finding good real estate deals. Chapters 00:01 – Meet Rick Howell 01:27 – Investing in Ohio & Michigan 02:17 – From Union Electrician to Real Estate Investor 04:30 – How Rich Dad Poor Dad Started the Journey 04:32 – Rick's First Real Estate Deal 07:27 – Why Rick Got His Real Estate License 08:29 – Investing While Working Full-Time 09:36 – Losing $15K to a Contractor 11:52 – How to Protect Yourself From Contractors 13:26 – Why You Should Avoid “Do-It-All” Contractors 15:17 – Payment Schedules & Blue Tape Walks 17:10 – General Contractors vs. Subcontractors 18:36 – Why Hard Money Can Help New Investors 20:01 – Finding Deals When You Don't Have Money 21:34 – How Rick's Business Evolved 23:37 – Pivoting When Interest Rates Changed 24:52 – How Higher Rates Changed Rick's Market 28:18 – Finding the Best Price Point to Flip 29:27 – Never Bet on Future Appreciation 30:20 – The Virtual Flip That Lost $250K 33:05 – Lessons From a Costly Real Estate Mistake 35:26 – Where Rick Finds Deals Today 36:15 – Moving From Outbound to Inbound Marketing 38:33 – Why TV Commercials Changed the Business 41:45 – Connecting With Rick 42:14 – Building a Speed-to-Lead System 44:53 – Turning TV Leads Into Seller Appointments 46:16 – Multiple Exit Strategies 46:52 – Rick's “Lazy Wholesaling” Strategy 48:55 – Why a Boring Business Is a Good Business 49:50 – The #1 Skill Every Investor Needs 51:41 – Bringing Family Into the Business 1:00:08 – Building a Personal Brand 1:07:57 – Marketing a Flip Before It's Finished 1:10:34 – Books That Changed Rick's Life 1:16:19 – Finding the Right Mentors 1:19:48 – Rick's Free Deal Analyzer 1:20:58 – Level Up Real Estate Investing Community 1:21:56 – Final Thoughts Connect With Rick Howell Rick Howell Social Media: @RickHowellREI Available on: • Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn Rick also runs the Level Up Real Estate Investing Community , a free Facebook community designed to help newer investors learn how to get started in real estate. Level Up REI Academy levelupreiacademy.com Rick says his Linktree also includes additional resources, including training related to wholesaling opportunities found through the MLS. Download your Free Resources now https://linktr.ee/michaelbesomeone Connect With Michael Hoang Instagram: @MichaelBeSomeone Text Michael: 832-301-9672

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  Episode #42

  Episode 42:George Salas: Building a $25M Experiential Short-Term Rental Portfolio

  Sep 28, 202649 min

  After losing a $300,000 investment and hitting what he describes as rock bottom, George Salas made the decision to rebuild through real estate. In this episode of the Get Wealth Show , Michael Hoang sits down with George to unpack how he went from attending real estate meetups and courses to owning and operating high-end short-term rentals, launching a real estate fund, and reaching approximately $25 million in assets under management . George explains how his short-term rental strategy evolved after COVID. Instead of continuing to focus on smaller rental-arbitrage properties, he and his wife shifted toward owning higher-end, experiential short-term rentals . He breaks down what makes an Airbnb or short-term rental competitive today, including unique design, guest-centric amenities, common spaces, data-driven market analysis, and creating an experience travelers are willing to pay more for. George also shares how he evaluates properties, estimates CapEx, researches short-term rental regulations, and uses a combination of market data and experience when selecting amenities. The conversation then goes deeper into George's transition from individual properties to Empress Capital and a multi-asset fund structure. He discusses the challenges of launching a fund with no prior fund-management experience, the importance of defining your investment strategy before hiring attorneys, building the right team, establishing a track record, and learning from experienced fund managers. For investors interested in short-term rentals, creative finance, real estate funds, or scaling from individual properties into larger portfolios, this episode offers a detailed look at George's evolution as an investor and operator. Chapters 00:01 – Meet George Salas 01:02 – Losing $300K & Starting Over 02:41 – Scaling Into Short-Term Rentals 03:13 – COVID Changes the Business 05:37 – Building a $25M Portfolio 06:58 – The Airbnb Bust Explained 11:32 – What Makes an Airbnb Profitable Today 13:31 – Creating Experiential Properties 15:58 – $50K–$60K Cash Flow From One Property 17:34 – The Ideal STR Property 19:19 – Budgeting for a High-End STR 22:38 – Using Data to Choose Amenities 26:35 – The Art & Science of STR Investing 27:20 – Navigating STR Regulations 29:56 – George's Real Estate Fund 31:18 – Dome & Glamping Resort Project 32:48 – Building a Fund From Scratch 36:24 – What It Costs to Start a Fund 38:44 – George's Fund Structure 39:12 – Accredited Investors & Multi-Asset Funds 43:43 – Books That Changed George's Life 46:52 – Free STR Masterclass 47:31 – Connect With George George Salas Instagram: @GeorgeSalas360 Website: GeorgeSalus360 George directs listeners to his personal website's Free Gifts section for his Six Figure STR Masterclass , a roughly one-hour training covering his short-term rental model. The masterclass includes examples and a case study of a property George says is generating approximately $150,000 and is projected to reach roughly $170,000 in annual revenue. Fund Information George discusses Empress Capital and his multi-asset real estate fund. The fund is structured as a 506(c) offering for accredited investors. George says its original minimum investment was $25,000 . During the episode, the following websites are mentioned: creativestd.com empirescapitalgroup.com Download your Free Resources now https://linktr.ee/michaelbesomeone Connect with Michael Hoang Michael Hoang Text: 832-301-9672

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  Episode #41

  Episode 41: Lease Options Explained: How John Jackson Helps Sellers & Buyers Without Buying the House

  Sep 25, 202642 min

  Can you really make money with lease options in Texas without buying the property, taking over the mortgage, or becoming the landlord? In this episode of the Get Wealth Show , Michael Hoang sits down with John Jackson , founder of Leasing2Buy , who has specialized in lease options for more than 20 years. John explains his lease option assignment model, where he helps sellers whose homes aren't selling connect with buyers who aren't quite ready for traditional financing. John breaks down what a lease option is, the different lease option structures, how Texas requirements affect the strategy, and why his business focuses on assignments rather than sandwich lease options. He walks Michael through the entire process—from finding motivated sellers through targeted direct mail to marketing properties, screening potential buyers based on credit and debt-to-income ratios, and connecting qualified buyers with a lender. John says his typical assignment fee today averages roughly $15,000–$18,000 per deal . Listeners will also hear how John completed his first lease option deal in 2003 after finding a property while driving for dollars, why slower real estate markets can create more opportunities for this strategy, and the systems he has developed over 22 years. Whether you're a real estate investor looking for another creative-finance strategy or an agent searching for ways to convert leads that aren't working as traditional sales, this episode provides a practical look at how John approaches lease options. Chapters 00:01 – Meet John Jackson 01:56 – What Is Leasing2Buy? 04:44 – Lease Options in Texas 07:22 – What Is a Lease Option? 08:30 – Three Types of Lease Options 13:09 – What You Can't Do in Texas 14:08 – Lease Option Assignments 15:04 – Finding Sellers With Direct Mail 17:37 – How the Assignment Works 19:08 – Vetting Lease Option Buyers 21:32 – John's Real Estate Journey 23:20 – John's First Deal 25:37 – Targeted Real Estate Marketing 27:56 – $15K–$18K Average Assignment Fees 30:16 – Finding the Buyer 31:38 – Doing Lease Options Nationwide 34:10 – Finding Sellers & Buyers 36:00 – Why the Current Market Creates Opportunity 36:21 – The Book That Changed John's Life 37:06 – John's Lease Option Book 38:25 – John's Free Resources 39:43 – Connect With John 40:12 – Closing Thoughts How to Get in Touch John Jackson Company: Leasing2Buy Website: leasingtobuy.com Instagram: @JohnJacksonOfficial Facebook: Search John Jackson Leasing to Buy Free 20-Minute Call: dreampartnercall.com John offers listeners a free 20-minute Zoom call to discuss their current real estate business, marketing, challenges, and whether his lease-option strategies could complement what they're already doing. He also says listeners who book the call can receive an eBook version of his book by email. Download your Free Resources now https://linktr.ee/michaelbesomeone Connect with Michael Hoang Michael Hoang Instagram: @MichaelBeSomeone Text: 832-301-9672

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  Episode #40

  Episode 40: Wes Foster: From Zero to 29 Real Estate Deals in His First Year

  Sep 21, 20261 hour

  What happens when you enter real estate with no investing experience, no personal capital to deploy, and decades of catching up to do? For Wes Foster , the answer was to move fast, build relationships, learn from every deal, and create value wherever possible. In this episode of the Get Wealth Show , Michael Hoang sits down with Wes Foster, a Houston-area real estate agent and investor who completed 29 transactions in his first year and built a team that grew to 27 agents within months of beginning recruitment. Wes shares the deeply personal story behind his move into real estate, including more than 20 years of intentionally giving away what he earned, helping teenagers from troubled homes, and eventually realizing he needed to begin building wealth and preparing for retirement. Wes also breaks down his first BRRRR investment—a Galveston property purchased for $180,000 with an estimated $450,000 after-repair value—and the costly rehab problems that turned what looked like an ideal deal into a major learning experience. Michael and Wes dive into contractor vetting, hard money, draw schedules, holding costs, off-market properties, wholesaler relationships, deal analysis, and why time can be one of the most expensive costs in real estate investing . They also explore Wes's investor-focused real estate agent model, creative ways to participate in deals without using his own money or credit, and the relationship-building philosophy that helped him grow rapidly. Wes explains how The Five Love Languages influenced not only his family relationships but also the way he communicates with investors and business partners. Chapters 00:01 – Meet Wes Foster 01:27 – Building a 27-Agent Team 03:00 – Wes's Story Before Real Estate 05:13 – Why He Started Investing 07:24 – Finding His First Deal 09:11 – The BRRRR Strategy 11:20 – On-Market vs. Off-Market Deals 13:26 – Why Wes Loves Wholesalers 16:38 – Don't Pocket Watch the Wholesaler 18:11 – Helping Investors Find Deals 20:09 – Building Wealth From Zero 22:38 – What Went Wrong on the First Rehab 26:38 – Michael's Early Rehab Mistakes 31:55 – Why Time Kills Deals 34:02 – How to Vet Contractors 37:22 – Contractor Payments & Draws 40:42 – Understanding Hard Money Draws 42:30 – 29 Deals in the First Year 43:42 – Building an Investor-Focused Agent Business 48:38 – Getting Started in Real Estate 50:10 – The Five Love Languages 55:49 – Wes's Free Real Estate eBook 57:18 – Free Coaching With Wes 58:08 – Closing Free Resource from Wes Foster Wes offers listeners a free real estate investing eBook designed to walk beginners through the process of getting their first deal. The eBook covers: • Finding your first real estate deal • Funding a deal • Estimating rehab costs • Understanding the rehab process • Fixing and flipping a property • Selling or exiting the deal • A structured path toward finding your first deal Wes describes it as a roughly 90-day roadmap, although motivated investors can move through the steps faster. To request the eBook, send Wes a DM on Instagram and mention that you heard him on the podcast. How to Get in Touch Wes Foster Instagram: @propertykings.co Wes also offers a free coaching call for people interested in getting started in real estate investing. He says listeners can follow him on social media and use the calls-to-action on his posts to receive the scheduling link. During the call, Wes offers to learn about your goals and help outline a step-by-step plan for getting started in real estate. Download your Free Resources now https://linktr.ee/michaelbesomeone Michael Hoang Instagram: @MichaelBeSomeone Text: 832-301-9672 Connect with Michael Hoang

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  Episode #39

  Episode 39: Matt Viebrock: How Systems & Operations Help Real Estate Investors Scale

  Sep 18, 202639 min

  Getting deals is only one part of building a successful real estate business. If your systems, people, processes, and numbers can't keep up, growth can quickly become a problem. In this episode of the Get Wealth Show , Michael Hoang sits down with Matt Viebrock , an experienced real estate operator who has worked inside businesses handling hundreds of transactions per year. Matt shares how reading Rich Dad Poor Dad at 16 sparked his interest in real estate and how his career eventually took him through New Western Acquisitions, Lifestyles Unlimited, transaction coordination, wholesaling, flipping, novations, coaching, and fractional COO consulting. Matt explains how his natural strength in systems and operations became his competitive advantage. After helping build the backend operations of a real estate team, he launched a transaction coordination company and says he personally worked on more than 1,500 transactions over roughly eight years. He later partnered with Eric Brewer, Steve Trang, and Mike Borger to build a novation coaching operation that grew to nearly $1 million a year in revenue from coaching alone. The conversation dives deep into one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face: trying to do everything themselves. Matt explains why investors should identify the work they're naturally good at, understand which activities give or drain their energy, delegate lower-value work, and focus on the activities that create the greatest impact. Michael and Matt also discuss behavioral assessments such as DISC and Predictive Index, hiring virtual assistants, tracking KPIs and KPAs, buying back your time, and building the operational foundation necessary to move from solopreneur to a scalable real estate company. Whether you're trying to complete your first deal or already doing several deals every month, this episode breaks down how to find your role, protect your time, and build a business that can grow beyond you. Chapter 00:22 – Meet Matt Viebrock 01:38 – How Rich Dad Poor Dad Started the Journey 03:00 – New Western & Matt's First Real Estate Roles 05:32 – Starting With Bandit Signs 07:00 – Discovering a Talent for Operations 08:30 – Building a Transaction Coordination Business 09:30 – Novations, Coaching & Scaling 11:37 – Matt's Journey to Fractional COO Consulting 12:51 – Why Real Estate Businesses Need Operations 15:27 – Find Your Niche & Go All In 17:22 – DISC & Understanding Your Strengths 18:12 – Using Predictive Index 23:05 – Protecting Your Energy 24:00 – Buy Back Your Time 25:16 – Using Virtual Assistants to Delegate 27:16 – Michael & Matt's Real Estate Webinar 30:01 – Books That Changed Matt's Life 34:31 – KPIs, KPAs & Free Resources 36:38 – How Matt Helps Investors Scale 38:50 – Closing How to Get in Touch with Matt Viebrock Matt Viebrock Let's Grow COO For people interested in working with real estate investing companies or learning more about Matt's opportunities: Email: salesreps@letsgrowcoo.com For established real estate investors doing approximately two or more deals per month who want help scaling: Strategy Call: strategycall.letsgrowcoo.com Matt explains that his company provides fractional COO consulting and also trains and places acquisition managers with vetted real estate investing companies. Download your Free Resources now https://linktr.ee/michaelbesomeone Connect with Michael Hoang Michael Hoang Instagram: @MichaelBeSomeone

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