In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Michelle de Almeida — business coach, entrepreneur, and property investor. Michelle shares her inspiring journey from a 20-year career in hospitality and corporate management to building a thriving property portfolio and multiple successful businesses.

Growing up in a working-class family near Liverpool and Manchester, Michelle learned the value of hard work early on. After managing 67 pubs across Scotland for Wetherspoons and running her own restaurant in Portugal, a major health challenge led her to reassess her life and priorities. Today, she’s the founder of Lux Escapes UK and MDA Business, helping others achieve financial freedom and personal growth through property and coaching.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 From Humble Beginnings to Hospitality

• Growing up in Cheshire in a working-class family

• Building a strong work ethic from her parents’ example

• Spending over 20 years in hospitality, including six years running a restaurant in Portugal

• Managing 67 pubs as a Regional Manager for Wetherspoons before leaving corporate life

💼 Finding Purpose After Corporate Burnout

• Leaving her corporate role after a health setback and lack of support

• Becoming CEO of a Coca-Cola–funded non-profit in Dundee

• Helping thousands of women and micro-businesses out of poverty

• Transitioning naturally into business coaching and launching MDA Business

🏡 Entering the Property World

• Completing property training in January and buying her first property in April

• Partnering with her brother, Paul, who now manages over 40 viewings a month

• Focusing on Serviced Accommodation (SA) and Aparthotels as her main strategy

• Building a business model that generates high cash flow and long-term financial freedom

📈 Growth, Strategy & Challenges

• Setting a goal of 200 keys (units/beds) to achieve true financial independence

• Raising private capital with a minimum £100,000 investment threshold

• Avoiding small Buy-to-Lets in favour of scalable, cash-flowing SA units

• Overcoming one of her toughest weeks in property — losing a deal, investor, and remortgage all in one day

• Navigating short-term let licensing challenges in Scotland and rising council tax costs

💬 Mindset & Motivation

• Using multiple business and mindset coaches to stay focused and resilient

• Managing 12–14 hour workdays with energy and purpose

• Maintaining perspective through movement, conversation, and mindset work

• Planning future growth in St Andrews, Crieff, Montrose, and Cheshire

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In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Ev Foster, Regional Partner for Keller Williams Scotland. Ev shares her journey from being a stay-at-home mother of four to leading the growth of Keller Williams into a nationwide estate agency brand.

After facing financial struggles following a divorce, Ev explored franchising and traditional estate agency work before discovering the Keller Williams model. She explains how the self-employed agent model empowers individuals, provides flexibility, and delivers a more personal service to clients compared to the traditional estate agency model she believes is “broken.”

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🌟 From Mum to Entrepreneur

• Juggling life as a stay-at-home mother of four

• Facing financial pressure after divorce and needing to rebuild

• First steps into business with a ladies’ gym franchise and traditional estate agency work

🏡 Discovering Keller Williams

• Spotting the KW model as a low-cost, low-risk entry into self-employment

• Starting as a self-employed agent in 2017/2018

• Balancing financial independence with family flexibility

📈 Scaling with the KW Business Model

• Returning in 2020 to lead the Glasgow market center

• How KW provides training, support, and systems for agents to grow their own businesses

• Why she believes the traditional estate agency model is broken

• The rapid growth from zero to over 80 agents across Scotland

🚀 Keller Williams Scotland Today

• Achieving the five-year goal of becoming a separate region in January 2025

• Building a business that thrives in towns and villages, not just big cities

• Recruiting agents from non-traditional backgrounds

• Placing a strong focus on values, culture, and leadership development

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In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Elaine McLaren, chartered management accountant turned property investor. Elaine shares her journey from growing up in Scotstoun with early exposure to renovations, to leaving behind the corporate mould and building a portfolio designed to give her family more freedom and flexibility.

From watching Homes Under the Hammer to investing £15,000 in property training, Elaine reveals the importance of vision boards, long-term planning, and staying focused on why you started. She also opens up about her successes, lessons learned, and her evolving strategy — from building buy-to-lets to flipping properties and taking on HMOs.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 Early Influences & Corporate Life

• Growing up around property thanks to her father’s renovation projects

• Pursuing a corporate career as a chartered management accountant

• Realising she didn’t fit the corporate mould and wanting more flexibility

🏡 Getting Started in Property

• Inspired by a colleague with 13 properties and Homes Under the Hammer

• Investing £15,000 in training and waiting a year before buying her first deal

• Why she believes education was worth the investment

🎯 Building a Vision & Portfolio

• Setting her first goal: 12 properties to leave her job and focus on family life

• The power of vision boards to stay motivated and productive

• Growing her portfolio with her husband, including four properties in St Andrews

🔑 Lessons & Advice

• Do your due diligence before investing in training programmes

• When planning for retirement, set your financial target — then add two more properties

• Why involving your partner can strengthen your property journey

🚀 Current Focus & Future Plans

• Working on flips and managing an HMO

• Feeling like she’s “drifting” without a strong new vision

• Setting her next big goal: helping her husband retire so they can enjoy more holidays and freedom together