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In this reflective solo episode of In The Lab, Ruben shares the lessons he gained from running his first 10K race and how they directly apply to entrepreneurship, real estate, and life. From training with mentors to pushing through discomfort and finding the right environment, Ruben unpacks why success is less about talent and more about discipline, persistence, and proximity to the right people.

Using powerful analogies from sports and business, he explains how identifying your targets, surrounding yourself with the right environment, and pacing yourself against stronger peers can accelerate growth. Ruben also dives into the importance of environment over automation in today’s AI-driven age—and why genuine relationships remain irreplaceable.

If you’re re-evaluating your goals mid-year or searching for the right push to keep going, this episode will help you reflect, reset, and realign with the fundamentals that never change: preparation, mentorship, consistency, and celebrating each milestone along the way.

#EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessGrowth #MentorshipMatters #Resilience #RealEstateStrategy #Leadership #MindsetShift #ExperimentNation

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In this high-impact episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Brandon Rickman, an Atlanta-based investor, entrepreneur, and general contractor who has flipped over 500 houses, developed 100 new-construction single-family homes, and built vertically integrated businesses spanning private lending, self-storage, and consumer products. With over 25 years in real estate, Brandon shares how his career evolved from flipping houses to raising private capital for large-scale developments—including a three-story, Class A self-storage facility outside Atlanta.

Brandon opens up about the peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship, from multi-million-dollar exits in the consumer products world to surviving the 2008 market crash when banks abruptly called his loans. He reveals the data-driven criteria he uses to reverse-engineer self-storage projects for REIT buyers, the add-on revenue strategies that maximize NOI, and why private lending has become a major growth focus.

If you’re looking for a transparent blueprint to scaling across multiple real estate verticals while building resilience through challenges, this conversation is packed with insights on strategy, mindset, and execution.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE:

14:46 Brandon talks about self-storage investment strategy

44:55 Brandon talks about entrepreneurial resilience and scaling across multiple real estate verticals

KEEPING IT REAL:

05:20 – Why self-storage is Brandon’s top focus today

06:47 – How syndication works for self-storage investors

10:04 – Understanding demand: square footage per capita and site selection data

14:46 – Reverse-engineering self-storage for REIT buyers

17:47 – Pricing power and tenant retention in self-storage

22:05 – Increasing NOI through add-on services and rentals

26:27 – Automated vs. manned self-storage operations

30:08 – From consumer products to multi-million-dollar exits

44:51 – Surviving the 2008 market crash and negotiating with banks

59:22 – Big wins: high-margin flips, 7-figure syndication potential, and legacy deals

1:10:08 – Building a $20M/year private lending business

1:14:10 – Advice for 20-year-old entrepreneurs

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-rickman-9885a22/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonrickman08/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQGTzF6JvH4qqT_V8Lx2cw

#RealEstateInvesting #SelfStorage #EntrepreneurMindset #PrivateLending #FlippingHouses #ResilientEntrepreneur #CommercialRealEstate #BusinessGrowth #REITStrategy #FinancialFreedom

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In this powerful and paradigm-shifting episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Jay Cameron, real estate investor, international speaker, and founder of Maximum Impact Travel. Jay opens up about the pivotal moment when he realized that grinding through life just to pay bills wasn’t enough. After building financial stability through real estate and entrepreneurship, he made a bold decision to travel to Africa—facing his fears, confronting his conditioning, and ultimately transforming his life.Jay shares the mental due diligence required to break out of the bubble, why many Americans have a flawed perception of Africa, and how embracing global citizenship reshaped his identity and his business. From launching a multimillion-dollar travel company to leading over 2,000 people on transformative international trips, Jay explains how deep experiences—not just dollars—pay the highest dividends.If you’ve ever felt stuck in routine, this episode will challenge you to rethink your own story. Tune in to hear Jay’s journey from constraint to clarity and how you can unlock a life filled with purpose, expansion, and global impact.HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE:11:03 Jay talks about overcoming the old paradigm of fear, routine, and mental confinement38:33 Jay talks about why Africa’s branding is broken KEEPING IT REAL:04:26 – How travel shaped his identity and business10:58 – The old paradigm: fear, routine, and mental confinement13:30 – First fearful leap to Africa in 201816:55 – A better way to grind? Unpacking hustle culture20:39 – Use low overhead to create freedom30:58 – Reframing travel as a personal investment32:59 – “Die With Zero” and building memory dividends37:15 – Why Africa’s branding is broken42:27 – Doing your own mental due diligence45:53 – How expanding your mind dismantles generational programming50:26 – Smiles, dignity, and the universal human connection51:22 – Turning the world into an adult summer camp53:23 – From viral YouTube video to travel empire54:05 – Why this business is the reward after the grindCONNECT WITH THE GUESTWebsite: https://www.maximumimpacttravel.com/#Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-cameron-532a2951/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaycameronofficial/?hl=enYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/maximumimpactwithjaycameronLinktree: https://linktr.ee/maximumimpacttravel#RealEstateInvesting #GlobalCitizenship #MindsetShift #LifestyleDesign #EscapeTheGrind #MaximumImpact #TravelEntrepreneur #MentalDueDiligence #AfricaUnfiltered