Alright ladies and gentlemen welcome back to another SLG VDAU. Now today we're gonna have one of those guests that you don't want to miss out. He's such a successful developer and an author that he's gonna tell us all about his story. I mean I've met a lot of successful people but his story, oh my god, is really one that you don't want to miss.
Now he's the owner of a company called Rastika Property Company, his name is Ari Rastika. There you go, the man himself. Hey what's going on? Ari?
Listen I'm super excited to hear about you, your story congratulations on the article that just came out today of the real deal. I mean you are the real deal. So thank you for your time. I appreciate it very much and it's a very, you know that project isn't a side, it's a very special project.
It's just a good way to start the discussion because you know this is about reinventing how people live because of technology, because the way the world has changed. So we're actually changing architecture, meaning we're getting rid of dining rooms to make larger kitchens because you know that's where people congregate and then like things that are beyond just real estate is what we look at. We look to innovate, we're building a massive community on 318 acres. When it's done over 15,000 people you know, who live in this city and it's in Kyle, Texas, which is just out of Austin.
It was actually the fastest growing city in the United States of America in 2021 and it's funny that they actually didn't even have a stoplight in 2009. And so it's great because we can help bring identity to the city. The community needs it and I'm very proud that we actually donated 11 acres to the city of Kyle to build the new elementary school on our property. So there's a lot of very, you know, very special things here.
People that know me know that you know obviously we've done we've done pretty well, but we've done pretty well because we do things that are great for our customers and are great for our investors and really creating value and enhancing community. I'll never do a deal that's just about money. It's just not who I am. You know, I started this company the $3,000 loan when I was in law school and you know, and now we have a, I don't even know what the number is, number a million square feet under under construction and when Kyle this project breaks around in January, we'll have about three billion total assets over the next four years.
I went 100% of the company, never sold equity at the company level and you know, our investors are public pension funds, insurance companies, you know, my wife works in the company, the kids come to the company, I named at Rastigar because it was my grandfather's kind of dying wish, but I'm the kid that never should have made it. I was slipping burgers at Johnny Rockets in McDonald's and I was in high school. I delivered pizza as well through Altar College. I went to two community colleges before even getting into college.
So, look, if a guy like me, even if a guy like me, you know, I'm sure is not nearly as smart as the people that are watching this stuff can do it. It's really a testament to what's possible with the dream with a vision and of course hard work. But it's, yeah, we've been very blessed and I wish I could tell you this was because, you know, we predicted the markets and this that the other. There was a lot of grace being that I happened to be born in Austin, Texas and happened to be the best real estate market in the world.
So, it was a, it was a little bit of luck there, but what Pablo Picasso used to say is that luck is real, but it has to find you working. Wow. And you have another call on the public because by the way that I really don't know everything that you can imagine is real. And what we do with that is it's on the side of all our different development projects.
So, as you drive by a piece of land, that quote is there so that people can sort of think, what's going to go here? What could this be? And, you know, to me being an English major and never taking a math or business class in my entire life, to me, to me, and I can always come out of my head. But it was really about, you know, again, these psychological aspects of sociology, the community, and then, you know, I sketch a lot of these buildings preliminarily myself, you know, so the artistic part of it, I looked at it and said, okay, well, I do paint and very few people, you know, know that about me and I do write, obviously.
But I looked up at the sky one day and I basically said, well, what if I make that my canvas? And so, basically, all the buildings we built, I think the sky is the canvas and I'm just so lucky to do what I love so much and do it with the people that I love and do good work, good work for good people. And it's really a privilege more than anything. I really love also your story.
I mean, there's a book that you wrote, which is the gift of failure, which by the way, I encourage everybody to check it out. It's on Amazon. It's on your profile of social media because it's how, from your mistake, people, that's right. And I don't know what kind of idiot you have to be when you manage money for a living to write a book called failure, the gift of failure.
But it's really, really the truth, okay? And I've made it funny not only for the big institutions, but also some of the biggest celebrities, athletes in the world. And the more that I'm around them and see them performing the highest level, we learn that failure is how we learn. And people have this bad connotation with failures being bad, but it's the other side of the same point of success.
So we fail forward. And for me, it's always been about the truth. And to me, I've been more concerned about, you know, health and wellness, you know, transcendental meditation, posture alignment, and all the things that to build myself in a way that I can then contribute. And those are the core values that I've always lived by.
My guy that takes a $3,000 loan to become a billionaire with everything that you're doing and all the assets that you're holding on. What's being the biggest failure? And how do you turn it off? Well, that's an interesting question.
First of all, there's little micro failures every day, right? But for me, truly, the biggest piece was recognizing early on that I had more ego in what I was doing that I recognized. And I wanted to do something this, I wanted to be right, and I wanted to be innovative. And then a transition happened when I realized I don't want to be right, I want the right answer.
And when that happened, that turned everything around, because then you're after a meritocracy. And that is what built the company, it's what built the team to where back to that point, and the failure was, I didn't see that. I did maybe a little bit, but it took me about five, six years ago before it really hit me. And I said, look, we do this on behalf of our clients.
This is not like I have to work as a privilege for them. So if I don't have the idea myself, who cares? We need to surround ourselves with believable people. It needs to be a meritocracy.
And when that, I realized that was the failure happened, and I converted that into the gift, the blessing, the lesson, the build, the business went straight to the moon. Wow. And I love what you just said, it's about taking really ego at your advantage. Not as something that, oh, I need to be right, but about really finding the right answer.
And that really changes everything. I couldn't agree more with you. And that's amazing. Now, obviously, you've done a lot of different things, you know, being an author in all these years that you've been doing it.
Obviously, there's ups and downs, but have you ever had a role model or somebody that you look up and just like, how I learned this? I mean, there's been so many people along the way that have been there to give me great advice. But I'll tell you is, I was an English major and undergrad, okay? The greatest mentors of my life were in books.
And so, yes, I study people for a living and anyone that knows me knows I'm a nerd. I literally study greatness for a living. I'll study talking about great, I'll study, so Rita Williams, I'll study Abraham Lincoln to see, you know, is there something that I can learn to apply to my life? But literally, that is one of my hobbies is studying, is really, really studying greatness.
And so, anybody that's listening, oh, I don't know this person, I don't know that person, I don't have any connections. You can get on Amazon for $1 and buy a used book of one of, you know, Benjamin Graham, you know, Warren Buffett or Elon Musk. For $3, you literally just got the mentor. And so, I could urge everybody to not just be focused on, oh, I need a physical mentor and who's this person, which great, they might come.
But, you know, needed, if you go read 50 books, read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, you can buy it for two bucks used on Amazon. And you just got Benjamin Franklin as your mentor. He is, it is not about your resources, which can be money, whatever, the people you know. It's not about your resources, it is about you becoming more resourceful.
Exactly. But, you know, I think that there's so much content out there that we can just take to ourselves and use it into our whatever project we want to work on, whether it's a development, real estate. And, you know, I just wanted to say that what you've been doing is so fantastic. And I just think that people, when they see you on social media, even if it's those short clips saying something, that can spark something inside of that individual to go for it, you know, whatever it is that they want to work on.
So, I wanted to congratulate you on that. But obviously, this is a question, I mean, random question, but I always ask this question to everybody that we have in our S&P that the word luxury, it comes in so many different shapes and forms. And I just want to know what is it really luxury is being able to wake up in the morning and do what fills your soul. That is luxury.
Wow. Okay. Bye. This is amazing.
I love it. So profound. So, I really like that. So, thank you.
Thank you. That's really good. Now, just to kind of ask, because I know you're tiny, valuable, and I want to make sure that people are this getting grasp of what you're doing. If people want to know more about you, they can go to me.
I mean, I mean, Larry, very public, what I've done, I don't know, fortunately or unfortunately, but you can go to at Rastivar on this. You can direct message me. My team is very, very active on that. We respond to it.
You can go to our website, rastivarproperty.com, fill out the contact form. You know, we have tons and tons of investors that are reaching out. And I kind of made a decision recently that I was going to allow some of the smaller investors to come in that I haven't had in years because the opportunity is so huge right now. And don't let anybody tell you the market that there's the risk that this is the buying opportunity.
This is when rich people get rich and when poor people, unfortunately, because of a lot of things that aren't their fault end up suffering. So, anybody here listening, anyone around needs help, you can reach out to our team and we'd be more than happy to educate you on what's going on. And, you know, and make sure to be provided an opportunity for everybody to succeed. Because remember, it wasn't long ago that I was delivering pizzas.
Which, wow, I find that incredible. I find that a really motivating story and empowering for those that are currently... I'm telling you, that's flinging the light. We're so bad.
I cannot speak for seven years. I can learn how to talk. So, meaning, if I can do it, I assure you, everybody listening on this is more likely smarter than me. So, go out there and do it.
Have a fucking goal. Write it down on a piece of paper. Read it in the morning. Read it at night until it happens.
And don't ever stop. And wherever you are in your life, whatever job you have, whether you're working at Walmart, McDonald's or Goldman Sachs, that is the place that you are and be the best at it. I'll give you the thing. I tell people this to this day.
I will still put money on anything that you put me in a pizza restaurant. I will make the best pizza in America. And that attitude is what gets you to the next step. So, wherever you are, fucking be there and own it and be the best in the world at that.
And that is infectious. It's magnetic. And that will take you to the next level. So, you can't be great at small things.
You will never be great at big things. Wow. Brother, that's fire right there. I mean, I'm feeling that fire is out.
Let's go. You know, like, come on. I'm sure everybody's popped up with this conversation. So, thank you, brother.
I got to appreciate you. Congratulations. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I want to learn more about your failures.
Don't worry. I hope you'll do it. Absolutely. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much. We want 71. We'll be in time. And God bless all of you.
I have to walk in the public friendship by meeting in a few minutes, but love to all of you and we all get to connect. And thanks again for everybody tuning in today. We hope you enjoyed it. And remember, embrace its beautiful, success in life.
My name is Alvaro, and I'll see you next time.