John McNellis didn't set out to become one of the most respected commercial real estate developers on the West Coast. He was a journalism major turned lawyer who stumbled into real estate—and never looked back. In this episode, John shares the honest, unfiltered story of how he built a career deal by deal, including the wins, the spectacular losses, and everything in between.

John is the author of Making It in Real Estate, now in its third edition with 34 new chapters. What started as a 25,000-word insider favorite has grown into required reading at Stanford, Berkeley, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, and universities across the country. Students and seasoned investors alike call it their real estate Bible.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why real estate is one of the only businesses you can start as a side gig—no matter what your day job is
• John's origin story: from a $25,000 duplex at age 24 to shopping center development across California
• The skills that matter most in real estate (hint: emotional intelligence and listening rank higher than you'd think)
• Why the path to success was anything but linear—and what John's worst deals taught him
• How to manage the psychological weight of big money and real risk
• The "four Ds" formula for finding your first investment property
• Why John recommends starting small, staying conservative, and building your reserves before swinging for the fences
• His take on flipping land vs. houses—and why he'd never put debt on bare land
• What actually drives him (spoiler: it was never about the money)

Resources mentioned:

Making It in Real Estate by John McNellis — available on Amazon, Audible, and as an e-book. Bulk orders of 25+ copies are available at $10/copy (vs. $20 retail) at https://www.johnmcnellis.com

Malcolm Reid Sr. is the founder of ProGlobal Business Advisors, a business-in-a-box model that has helped over 1,000 coaches worldwide build profitable, values-driven practices over the past 12 years. Malcolm provides coaches with everything they need to run a thriving business — positioning, systems, enrollment processes, delivery frameworks, software, and long-term operational support — all branded to the coach.

In this episode, Jess and Malcolm get into a conversation that's been brewing since Malcolm joined Interview Connections earlier this year. When Jess's salesperson left, it was Malcolm who had planted the seed that the best closers aren't salespeople — they're the coaches themselves. That insight changed the way Jess runs her business, and in this episode they unpack why.

What we cover:

• Why Malcolm's company doesn't have a sales team — and how the people doing the fulfillment are also the ones doing the enrollment
• The difference between a sales call and a selection process (and why it matters for client quality and retention)
• The "business in a box" model — what it means, how it works, and why it's modeled after a franchise but branded entirely to the coach
• How Malcolm helps coaches get clients through a diagnostic tool that finds six figures of hidden revenue in under 60 minutes — before asking for the business
• The power of strategic alliances and JV partnerships as a low/no-cost client generation strategy
• Malcolm's origin story: growing up in Baltimore, a conviction, and the turning point that led him to help small business owners build the lives they dreamed of
• Why both Jess and Malcolm believe that money is a result — not a motivation — and how leading with genuine care builds businesses that last

Connect with Malcolm:

Grab Malcolm's book, Massive Action, which outlines the 22 strategies he uses with his clients: 100KLeak.com

What if financial freedom has nothing to do with how much you accumulate? Dan Scott, founder of Spotlight Advisory Group, built his career around a simple but powerful reframe: financial freedom is about having enough money to live in full alignment with your purpose.

In this episode, Dan shares the philosophy behind his work with artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives, the origin story of his firm, and what his upcoming book, The Experience of Financial Freedom, is really about. He also opens up about his lifelong relationship with music, his punk rock roots, and why he sees folk music as the original punk.

What We Cover:

• Why "enough" is more important than "more" when it comes to money
• How Dan's quest for happiness at age 16 led to his definition of financial freedom
• The connection between purpose, positive psychology, and financial design
• Why money was never meant to be the goal, and what happens when we treat it like one
• His work with artists and creatives, and why he says everyone is creative
• His upcoming book The Experience of Financial Freedom and what's inside it
• The through-line between punk rock, folk music, and freedom as a philosophy
• Why he thinks the entertainment industry is a tool for artists, not the measure of success

About Dan Scott:

Dan Scott is the founder of Spotlight Advisory Group, a personal and business management firm working with artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives. Through financial strategy, accountability, and mindset work, he helps clients break free from industry constraints and build lives that reflect their values and long-term vision. He is also the soon-to-be author of The Experience of Financial Freedom.

Connect with Dan:

Website + weekly blog: www.spotlightadvisorygroup.com

Email: dscott@spotlightadvisorygroup.com

Want to land more podcast appearances and grow your thought leadership? Visit interviewconnections.com/call to schedule a call.