55: From Professional Athlete to Real Estate Capital Raiser with Igor Shaltanov

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: The biggest challenge was nobody, nobody wants to your professional sports career and then you

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_01]: cannot put it on resume because how will you transition into the professional I'm talking about?

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become doctor right after that now?

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become lower?

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become this and that?

[00:00:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So anyways, it's a very challenging time.

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Even so I had a degree here, I had a lot of degrees out.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm ready to start the law for that since stuff but they said okay but what is the experience?

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to Work It Live It Owned, a show that explores how to upgrade your lifestyle

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_02]: and life lessons will stay in entrepreneurship.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Here's your hostess, SaCola Lehr.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to another episode of Work It Live It Owned Today, we have a truly inspiring guest

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_02]: with us.

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Many professional athletes struggle with the transition after their sports careers end.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_02]: But our guest today has not only navigated this transition successfully but also

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_02]: thrived in multiple roles.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_02]: He's gone from being a professional athlete to an entrepreneur, investor and now a capital

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_02]: razor.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_02]: He's here to share his incredible journey of re-invention and growth and how we can all leverage

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_02]: our skills to pursue our passions no matter what stage of life we're in.

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_02]: So please join me in welcoming Igor Sheltonov.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_01]: So, Goa, thank you very much.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01]: It's pleasure to be on your show and I'm wide open to sure experience as much as I can.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_02]: You're welcome Igor.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Let's dive in and talk about your personal journey.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Can you share your journey from being a professional athlete to becoming an entrepreneur and investor?

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a great question.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for your question.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_01]: So the professional athlete career.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_01]: It's very hard to articulate, right?

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Because not a lot of people will step through that journey of being paid for sports, right?

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Because a lot of times it's finished on a level of high school, right?

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And maybe you go up to the college which is amazing experience.

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_01]: But you know, you're going to become doctor, lawyer, real estate professional, right?

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Something else.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And being on that journey when you play sports and the risk of in the money.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's amazing because again, a lot of times you do a lot of times.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Not every time but a lot of times you do a lot of and you get in paid.

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_01]: You're like playing game and you get in paid.

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_01]: So was that being said, it's a little bit artificial, right?

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Because you don't get to interact with real world.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_01]: You don't get to draft contracts so that might trick us.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: You don't get to, you know, the negotiator stuff.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot of that like been done for you, right?

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_01]: It's been given to you and then you play, you are, you're money, you play or you say,

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_01]: money, why I'm saying all of that?

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Because once you career over, that's when the real challenge begins.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's when you start to face the reality of the world.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And for myself, I'm talking through my personal experience.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_01]: It was just that you coming up to the cliff and now you need to jump like you jumping

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_01]: into the real world and the biggest challenge was nobody.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Like nobody wants your professional sports career and then you cannot put it on resume, right?

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Because how would you transition into the professional I'm talking about?

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become doctor right after that now?

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become lower?

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you become this from that?

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_01]: So anyways, it's very challenging time.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Even so I had a degree, right?

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I have a lot of degrees out.

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm ready to start the law for it since the up of this said okay, but what is the experience?

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Because I'm going to real job on trying to get some type of job and law, right?

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they say what is real time-experienced in practice and law?

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like zero.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I say sorry, when not taking it right?

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And then again, so that was the biggest challenge for me how to transition from one

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: basically, where action was the physical body into the other one, right?

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Which is working with your professional and right?

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And until I grew up and then you brain power and stuff like that.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: That was a one challenge.

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_01]: For me, I was still back in Russia right because I came from Russia.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I was pretty good times there because I was young complaints for it.

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_01]: But then when I started to practice law, I thought it's about protecting people, right?

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know doing good things, but once I started to, I became a assistant judge in the court.

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_01]: And the learning lesson for me was, it's not about law.

[00:04:41] [SPEAKER_01]: It's about the power and the money.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So whoever has more power, right?

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And more money is so they get an influence that decision.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was very miserable for me position, right?

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I need to execute that decision.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_01]: So, and once I learned that, I said listen,

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01]: so I was thinking about, I'm been become successful, right?

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And the law space and I'm going to become, I wouldn't say,

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I can support my family financially, right?

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_01]: But then my real passion was in coaching kits and doing something for kids

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_01]: because I really loved that my first education was P.T. Trunkoach.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_01]: So, once I tried to work with kids, it was not the end of the work for me.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_01]: It was just a pleasure and passion.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_01]: So, and then, but because I didn't see myself how I can support financial and my family being in the P.T. Trunkoach.

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I said, listen, I got to go to law school.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I finished that.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And one of the lessons early on was like, not following my passion,

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_01]: but following more like money and following more of what's going to give you more results in financial, right?

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I failed.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So, again, lesson learned, my wife was professional basketball player

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_01]: and was professional waterball that's full of Matt together

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and her family moved to the United States.

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And then one of the days when I quit my job actually I started to realize,

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to be doing law full-time, right?

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not passionate about that.

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So, I said, okay, let's take a break.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Right?

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_01]: They quit my job.

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, it was hard because again, it was a job or something else.

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it pushed by people around me, right?

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a great to be a lawyer.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a great to be working the law space, right?

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_01]: But I found myself internally, right?

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_01]: That said, listen, I wouldn't do that.

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to quit.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_01]: So, no matter what.

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And first, guilt was like, what's the other people will tell about me, right?

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_01]: What they're going to say?

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But again, I pushed that through.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And then my wife said, you know what?

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_01]: My family moved to United States.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go visit that.

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was November.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And in Russia, the toughest part was from me.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I was playing professional water bowl.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_01]: So, I was always humid and wet.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was always cold.

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I was telling my mom a day of seven, eight, ten.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I said, I'm going to move to the place where there's no winter.

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_01]: There's no cold temperature.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And she was like, oh yeah, you'll do that.

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_01]: That's fine.

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I was keep saying to her every time because I was so miserable

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_01]: and cold after water, I said, I'm going to move to the place where there's no winter.

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I manifested to myself and my wife said, listen, my family moved to California.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go visit them.

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was 2010.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll land it 2009.

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_01]: November.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll land it in Los Angeles.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And imagine we'll land in Los Angeles after Moscow.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And in Moscow was like, my 20th, I'll soon.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we'll land in Los Angeles.

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_01]: California.

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, I don't know, let's say plus 15th, I'll soon.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Right?

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_01]: It was about 70 degrees.

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm going, it was one happen.

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Beach I'm going on the beach and everybody in the flip flops and shorts and t-shirt, everybody

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_01]: smiling and I was like goodness.

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, nobody told me you can live like that.

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Why would you struggle all the time, right?

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And you being cold and dark and stuff.

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was my second transition because again, it was my mental internal transition.

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_01]: The weather, actually the weather played the big role of my saying, you know what?

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_01]: You might want to look in a different country.

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_01]: You might want to look in different location right through future life.

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to stop here.

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I mean, you could keep going.

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_02]: It was a great story because some of the lessons that I wanted to do in with you is

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_02]: that transitional piece you were professional water, low player.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_02]: And who have a lot of lessons to learn, you thought, okay, you can't put national

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_02]: athlete on a resume because who's going to hire you.

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_02]: So you try to coaching doing something to help kids, right?

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_02]: With sports, that's relatable, okay?

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_02]: But then you went into law and then thinking about, okay, I can make money.

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I can be on the right side of the law only to find out it's about money and power.

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_02]: And wow, because most, that's what most people even in this country or United States

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_02]: thinks, okay, I'm going to go in a law.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to help people or I'm going to make a lot of money, right?

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_02]: And that wasn't satisfying you.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And most people dream about doing what you've done, Igor, they dream about being a

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_02]: professional athlete or they dream about becoming a lawyer.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_02]: And I had over 20 years of experience and education and that's what I normally hear from

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_02]: kids, I want to be a lawyer when we adopt our own.

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_02]: I want to be a professional athlete.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_02]: And you said whether was a big key factor.

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_02]: So let's start from there once you got to the US, what other pivotal roles or pivotal moments

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_02]: seeing your transition occur once you land in the United States?

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a great question.

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_01]: One of the pivotal things was, and again, I think it's a lot of psychology internally

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_01]: why because if you prefer from an athlete for the most part of your employee, right, it

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_01]: just wasn't, it's just the high-cated employment basically that's what it is.

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Why?

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Because if LeBron James is not going to step on a court tomorrow, he does have a contract

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_01]: for sure with some endorsements.

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_01]: But if he's not doing whatever he is well known for, right?

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_01]: His salary is going to go down no matter what because he's working with you the body.

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_01]: He needs to show up there.

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: He's time has set seven workout that's seven PM next day's game, right?

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_01]: It's like a high-paid employment and then from again, from employment mindset, we go

[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_01]: into the okay, how I'll end the business zone.

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_01]: So what's the next step basically?

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And then for me was like, absolutely the ocean, right?

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what to do.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not never around the business.

[00:10:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I never opened the business.

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll end it basically in November and again, a lot of different decisions I call my mom

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_01]: saying, I'm in the past or real quick.

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_01]: So I said, I'm not coming back which was really tough decision, right?

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we went through the saying, okay, we need to get legalized in different countries.

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_01]: How are you doing that, right?

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Wife and myself who played the highest level, right?

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And we were like national team athletes, pop up in the country.

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_01]: So we applied for extra-wardening of green cards.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_01]: It was super fast process.

[00:11:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And two basically months were used in the green cards.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And in the months three ago when the business, it was basketball academy for kids.

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And the reason why because again, we had like two ways to go.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_01]: It could be water politely.

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER_01]: My wife, like that's what her brother was drafts.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, the Clippers team 2005.

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And we had that marketing and branding rate idea around business.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, obviously work ethic was crazy because the persistent and discipline

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_01]: in the water politely and the professional sports space, right?

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_01]: You can transition to your life basically for all the facets,

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_01]: all the aspects of the life.

[00:11:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And what it teaches you just teaching your work work work,

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_01]: you just work work work work, you wait up right and then by the time everybody

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_01]: could you number one.

[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_01]: So that was just a basic idea because again, it's only resilience and perseverance.

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, you look back, right?

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And then everybody could already.

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And then you just lost two of your last three of you, right?

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And the same was in the business space, right?

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_01]: We're just working for first five years.

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't working because it was passing over my mind, right?

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_01]: But that was just really showin' out every day, really given the hundreds.

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_01]: 50% to 100 or 80%.

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Like really given all of myself to the case in coaching.

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And we opened that last blockad.

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And people start to feel it immediately because it's just internal past

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_01]: number one, number two, it was just the state of flow giving more than just receiving.

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_01]: It's again, for me was always whoever showed up one child or 25, 50 kids, right?

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: It was giving a same exact amount of whatever the experience, the energy, right?

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And people feel it.

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_01]: The good thing about it, the people feel it immediately, right?

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And then start to basically refer to the other people and business start to grow from

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_01]: one location to two locations.

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Three locations.

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And then all of a sudden you became a business owner, right?

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_01]: You start to manage people, you start to hire fire, you start to look at the financial

[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_01]: statements, right?

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Then the balance sheets and cash flows.

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And now you need to go into another cycle of internal development.

[00:13:29] [SPEAKER_01]: You say, okay, you became business owner and it was just a small and then it's

[00:13:34] [SPEAKER_01]: start to become bigger.

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you got team behind you.

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you need to be a leader.

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_01]: So the internal development of the leadership was huge as well.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I started to become sign up for different courses, different leadership groups, right?

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Different, a business groups had to run the business properly.

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So and that propelled me into the invest in world.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So I said, listen, if you became a business owner, right?

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_01]: The outcome of that thing is always you've helped in more people, but then they will

[00:14:04] [SPEAKER_01]: into pay for that service, right?

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Because you, you give in done exceptional service.

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And then when they pay service to you, if you leave humble life, you do a lot more money

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_01]: than you need to speak.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_01]: So that lives on table saying, okay, what do you, what do you do with that?

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So what did people actually do with that?

[00:14:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was 2015 for me, a 13, 15.

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_01]: So when I start to receive a lot more than I need to stand and I said, okay, I need to

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_01]: go ask people.

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, that was another internal journey of saying, okay, now it's not my body

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_01]: work and not my mind working, but it's actually my money work and more than anything else.

[00:14:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And how do you flow away your money and the rate so you can grow your wealth, right?

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to be a lot on my body and not on my mind, but it's going to be a line

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_01]: more on my actually another power which is against financial power.

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's going to be grown.

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't say by itself, he still needs to manage that, but again, so it's going to be growing

[00:15:02] [SPEAKER_01]: was it you like being present and showing up all the time stuff like those are just

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_01]: a little steps or probably.

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, those were not little steps.

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_02]: You write you are being humble.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Those were not little steps.

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Those were big steps pivotal moments because you came to the country, you opened up

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_02]: your business, you and your wife in three months.

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_02]: And then you went from one basketball camp to multiple basketball camps.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_02]: And my question was how in the world I know about the strength of discipline that

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_02]: mindset, you got to show up even if there's one child versus 1520.

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_02]: But then my question was, okay, how did you raise the capital?

[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Get that.

[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_02]: And I know this is what you do now.

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_02]: You are a capital razor.

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_02]: So could you share with us a little bit more about your role as a capital razor and what

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_02]: that entails?

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_01]: No, thank you.

[00:15:59] Yes.

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Great question as well.

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Number one, I have that in post in post.

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_01]: First in the right, because I always struggle with saying, you know what?

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_01]: If you in the financial field, where you got to go to Harvard University and you got

[00:16:14] [SPEAKER_01]: a thing that's like multiple different financial services and courses and that and this.

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_01]: But then I started to realize when I hire my first financial advisor.

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_01]: So the didn't great job again, but it's my beyond always in the favor of your financial

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_01]: being, right?

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Because again, they employed by a big company, right?

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Then they have certain guidelines and they have certain frames, right?

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's not always aligned with personal financial goals and stuff.

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So basically I started to say, you know what?

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Can I educate myself better?

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So and then can I go deeper into the topic?

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Can I become a more sophisticated, right?

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_01]: My, I took up my self first.

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, it led me to the, I feel like I'm, you know, I'm studying the whole life,

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_01]: right?

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Because I got first education, second education and I went through the, you know, United

[00:17:08] [SPEAKER_01]: State Education, I went to college doing accounting, right?

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And the business courses.

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I went to Harvard doing like investment, finance, and courses and stuff.

[00:17:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So basically I basically, I dove into that financial world.

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So I dove into like what's going to be the best return for my soul?

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I started to educate myself.

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what the beginning of my investing career has said, listen, let me become better

[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_01]: than 90% of the people right on the planet.

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_01]: So to go more sophisticated in real estate and investment world.

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was the beginning of it.

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER_01]: But the second one was just the personal journey when the people see me doing things.

[00:17:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And they were, I was talking to them saying, I want to buy a apartment cost.

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So I said, I got like, lucky.

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Right?

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I had like a bunch of single families, right?

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And single units investments.

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was like normal for everybody.

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_01]: But then nobody owned around my network back then.

[00:18:02] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm talking about the 15, nobody owned a apartment complex.

[00:18:05] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was about it.

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_01]: In a way that's impossible.

[00:18:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Or you can't do that.

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_01]: It's just for big guys at blah, blah, blah, blah.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And you got to break through that mentality.

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_01]: It looks like we know what?

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Why they seeing this?

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go deeper.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's find out how to do that.

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And we came across an education model.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_01]: It was okay.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_01]: If I'm not good enough to put 20 million dollars in the deal.

[00:18:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So I can put like a hundred to a million dollars, right?

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And it became part of it and started my learning process.

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Basically, response to your question was leading was a personal example.

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I started to really lead to a saying, you know what?

[00:18:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm already owner.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_01]: It's part owner.

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not full owner.

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_01]: But I'm owner of apartment complex.

[00:18:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And people start to ask me.

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So in the beginning it was just an opinion, right?

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I would say three years past I became a little bit more like I know better.

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Let me ask him because he's doing that, right?

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I became a well known space.

[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_01]: So he's doing multi-family.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_01]: He can ask the questions.

[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_01]: That's guy, right?

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Because he knows what he's doing.

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, right?

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Look at how he leaves what his lifestyle they're doing, right?

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_01]: And then basically leading was a personal example of a huge thing.

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And then secondly, probably thirdly, right?

[00:19:12] [SPEAKER_01]: The third thing was people start to realize the success.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_01]: In the business space first.

[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they said, okay, whatever he is doing, it's becoming successful.

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what's a secret is, but if he's going to put his mind into this thing,

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_01]: it's going to be unsuccessful.

[00:19:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And now I'm reflecting back on that.

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, it's probably goes a lot of fronted discipline of the sports.

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And then focusing on the one thing, given 150% instead of just 100 as usual, right?

[00:19:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And then doing the right things every day when nobody watching you.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So, and that led me to all those small success rate, which is building the future.

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And then building my presence right now.

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, and then basically people start to ask how it can be part of your success.

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_01]: That's what it is beyond us.

[00:20:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I like that because you have a dream.

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Most people have a dream and inspiration.

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Do something or aspiration to do something.

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And then people will like, oh, that's just for the top 1%.

[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_02]: But you didn't take that.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_02]: You didn't take that as gospel.

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_02]: You didn't take that best the answer.

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_02]: This is my lot in life.

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_02]: You would like, no, let me figure out for myself what it is that they're doing and how I can

[00:20:28] [SPEAKER_02]: be better for myself.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And we are lifelong learners.

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_02]: You also mentioned that we're lifelong learners.

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_02]: You're going to learn every phase of your life and your career.

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_02]: So tell me, you went from single family.

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_02]: So you went from basketball camp to learning about financing and real estate investing,

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_02]: teaching yourself how to do this.

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And then you went from single family, multi family.

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_02]: What are some projects or businesses that you are most excited about right now as a

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_02]: multi business owner?

[00:21:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Right now, right now we have a project again.

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_01]: It's came through whatever really building into.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Right, if you look in something for yourself, right, it's going to lead you to the

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_01]: great product because you kind of pushed it through your conscious mind for yourself.

[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And then now you can get it to the people as a product.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_01]: So and then we were doing multi family for in 2021, right?

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_01]: We were investing heavily multi family because it was just still I feel and everybody

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_01]: was talking money was so cheap.

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_01]: But then because of that, I don't know if there was a breach financing that's short term

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_01]: finance and short term financing was a adjustable rate, right?

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And then money was so cheap and people got cut up a little bit, right?

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_01]: It was a different problem.

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_01]: It's like the debt service right now, it became a lot more so they paying a lot more

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_01]: that mortgage payment, right, than it used to be, right, because they need to refinance

[00:21:57] [SPEAKER_01]: right?

[00:21:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm opening.

[00:22:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And because of that and then because of different things for example, they were not

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_01]: able to achieve the plan.

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_01]: They need to refight their project right now.

[00:22:07] [SPEAKER_01]: So we found a couple things.

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_01]: One, the risk tolerance from 2021 to 2022 became a lot less.

[00:22:15] [SPEAKER_01]: The people saying, you know what?

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_01]: We want to get safer.

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_01]: We're not feeling certain at this moment right now in this market environment.

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we want to get safer bets.

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_01]: So we willing to take a little bit less of the profit one be in a safer position.

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_01]: So we start to look at the capital stack of each real estate deal and then there's a senior

[00:22:35] [SPEAKER_01]: debt which is bank finance in the first, which is the most secured position right in

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_01]: the annual estate deal because you have a collateral of that building.

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And then there's a second and third which is measuring that sign to the center of security

[00:22:50] [SPEAKER_01]: right, but still more riskier than just the bank finance than the second, second one on

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: top of that, me as measured if you're missing is a private equity placement.

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So we said listen, if common equity which is the rental investors all the way to the top,

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_01]: they've seen in the most of the profits, but they take in the most of risk right.

[00:23:09] [SPEAKER_01]: There's no secret right if you want a willing to risk more so you're going to get more

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_01]: profit right and we said we want to put the our investors right now on the more secure

[00:23:20] [SPEAKER_01]: position can we do as that and then the private equity debt.

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So we said yes let's open the fund which is going to be actually giving the credit given

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_01]: the money to the multi family projects.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_01]: So that way we're going to be in the more secure position.

[00:23:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we're going to get a little bit less of the profit right but it's going to be like

[00:23:42] [SPEAKER_01]: a long term and it's going to be more like a four security of the piece of mind and

[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_01]: being able to just feel every day you know what my money in the right space.

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_01]: We have certain rules, we have certain safety here, we've got a lot of equity and projects

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_01]: so we're not risking that much so basically we go on right now into the private credit

[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_01]: fund and then we'll land in the money to multi family.

[00:24:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I'll stop here.

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, all right so good that you have expanded your real estate investment portfolio.

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Now I want to ask you something if you could give any practical steps for athletes or for

[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_02]: anyone that want to take and reinvent themselves and pursue their passions.

[00:24:34] [SPEAKER_02]: What words of advice do you have for them?

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_01]: So there's the one thing helped me a lot.

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_01]: It was just a staple push because again, going into the different directions and different

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_01]: opportunities, there's a lot of different shiny objects.

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_01]: So there's a lot of different things people just saying, oh let's go here.

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go there and let's do this.

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_01]: There's exciting project here.

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_01]: So the hardest part from myself was to stay focused, really understand what you want.

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Like really, oh you know what I back on this one thing.

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_01]: For example for me it was like I bet on multi family space.

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_01]: If I want to do real estate investing, right?

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_01]: What are you going to do?

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_01]: There's so many of the facts we can just storage.

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to do mobile hardware.

[00:25:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, there's a million so things on just for my personal experience every single day.

[00:25:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Somebody is standing at the city.

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, there's millions of different things that can be part of this during your

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_01]: right on investment real estate.

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_01]: But then, but you're six months in or seven months in into the fund operation was said,

[00:25:44] [SPEAKER_01]: listen what are the core focus?

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_01]: What do we actually want to be well known for like 10 years from now?

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Want to be well known for a multi family, right?

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, let's focus on one thing.

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's become the best and one thing so that people will be coming to us because they know

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_01]: we are the best and multi family.

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_01]: So, and that focus and I can just again run back in my business operations, right?

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_01]: There's so many facets you can go into this academy, right?

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_01]: You can develop one thing in the school, the this thing.

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And so what does it people actually come into us?

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Why do they like our company?

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's focus on that one thing and multiply that 10x, right?

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be a lot easier than just doing 10 things goes 1x, right?

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_01]: So, and that focus I think that's a huge piece.

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And if you can focus really number one, it's understanding what you want.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_01]: That's the huge, right?

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Number two, just focus on that one.

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to become super exceptional, right?

[00:26:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And like that, staying focused knowing where do you see yourself in 10 years?

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_02]: What do you want to be known for?

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_02]: It's kind of like the beginning of any business when you're starting out.

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_02]: You got to know what are your good at?

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_02]: How have you helped people achieve what they want to achieve?

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_02]: And then ultimately you'll find that sweet spot somewhere.

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_02]: So, Igor, you've done a lot in your time here on earth.

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Are there any other future goals that you see for yourself?

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I know like you said in 10 years time,

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_02]: you want to be known for multifamily investing.

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Are there any other goals for the future for you both personally and professionally

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_02]: that you would like to achieve?

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the person laid it's, um, I don't know what, but just my kids,

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_01]: you know, he's actually mocking the door with who got to go to the baseball right now.

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_01]: But he gave me the most of the time of my conscious free time

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_01]: was my kids.

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And I want to make sure, when they grow an older,

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_01]: when they hear their kids, right?

[00:27:51] [SPEAKER_01]: This is going to be a good example for them,

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_01]: sending a listen.

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So, I am quite out because I spent more time with the family, right?

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And I might that spend more time with me, right?

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, for me it's super beneficial.

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_01]: It's very time consuming, right?

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_01]: But it's super beneficial for me.

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_01]: On the side of the business, my dream is to convert our

[00:28:14] [SPEAKER_01]: basketball operations company.

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Because my wife is still wearing that she's professional athletes.

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_01]: That's where the basketball she was a basketball player.

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_01]: To completely convert it to the nonprofit and give more opportunities for people who

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_01]: cannot afford the high quality education, right?

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And make it more accessible out, say, right?

[00:28:33] [SPEAKER_01]: This is my passion and endurance, some of the future.

[00:28:36] [SPEAKER_01]: From the business standpoint.

[00:28:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Right, and family alike how you put family first.

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_02]: You mentioned that first.

[00:28:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And your son does have a basketball game that he needs to go to.

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_02]: So we're going to wrap this up.

[00:28:48] [SPEAKER_02]: So thank you so much, Igor, for sharing your incredible journey

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_02]: and insights with us today.

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Your story is a testament to the power of resilience and reinvention.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_02]: And I know our listeners will be inspired to pursue their own passions

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_02]: and with renewed vigor.

[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_02]: And so where can our listeners find out more about you

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_02]: in your current projects, Igor?

[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely. So there's a couple of outlets.

[00:29:14] [SPEAKER_01]: One is obviously to fund.com.

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: You can go to the website and just check it out.

[00:29:19] [SPEAKER_01]: There's a ebook that you can download if they go to win real estategain.com.

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Once again, it's a win real estategain.com.

[00:29:27] [SPEAKER_01]: They can download ebook for free.

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And the last league and go ebook at at least the fun.com

[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_01]: and just should be email.

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_01]: We had to respond anytime.

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, thank you so much, Igor.

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_02]: And to our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in

[00:29:42] [SPEAKER_02]: to work it, live it on it.

[00:29:44] [SPEAKER_02]: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate,

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_02]: and leave a review and don't forget to follow us on social media

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_02]: at work it, live it on Instagram.

[00:29:55] [SPEAKER_02]: For updates, and more inspiring content.

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Until next time, keep working it, living it, owning it.

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Take care.