132: Jeff Plous, Behind The Curtain, Hatch Realty

Jeff Plous's story is one of curiosity, craftsmanship, and an unshakable refusal to take "no" for an answer. The broker-owner of Hatch Realty grew up in downtown Chicago — a self-described nerd who carried a briefcase instead of a backpack, rebuilt cars with his dad, and built model homes out of balsa wood because he loved making something out of nothing. From his father, a charismatic entrepreneur who once finagled his way into a Vespa dealership at thirteen, he inherited creativity and fearlessness. From his grandfather and his mother — a teacher who spent decades serving kids in Chicago's inner city — he inherited discipline and a relentless work ethic.A move to CU Boulder gave Jeff both his lifelong friends and his direction, and he graduated into real estate just as the market began to collapse. His first job at Centex Homes was a sales center no one ever visited, but instead of waiting it out, he taught himself Photoshop and marketing and went looking for ways to solve the problem himself. That instinct became his calling card — building a niche selling "the unsellable" across Northwest Denver, most memorably moving four long-stalled townhomes for the late, legendary Paul Stan in just four months, on no marketing budget.That success launched him into development. After staying up all night reading the city's new zoning code and teaching himself design software, he sketched a concept no one believed could work, identified the land, signed over his entire bank account, and bet on himself. Around 40 doors later, Jeff has spent more than a decade among Denver's top agents — building Hatch around a simple premise: not how to sell more homes, but how to serve clients better.In this episode, Jeff opens up about the mentors who shaped him, the integrity that drives him to build things he can be proud of, and the honest struggle to find work-life balance while raising two kids with his wife, Lindsay. He shares the gut-punch of his nine-year-old telling him he's always on his phone, his "every day is Tuesday" philosophy, and his take on where Denver's market needs to go next. Above all, it's a conversation about staying curious, seeing behind the curtain, and never doing anything halfway.And Jeff's story… starts now!www.everettslending.com720-979-8742jimmy@everettslending.comIG: @jimmythesaint5280