Smart Money with Chris Swartz

In this episode of Smart Money, Chris Swartz sits down with Ryan Stackhouse, commercial real estate investor, entrepreneur, and lifestyle design advocate, to unpack how he built a commercial real estate portfolio that prioritizes one thing above all else: time freedom. Ryan shares his journey from leading a successful career in the mortgage industry to transitioning full-time into real estate investing. Starting with single-family rentals and gradually moving into multifamily properties, hotels, and eventually commercial assets, he explains how years of intentional investing allowed him to create a life centered around family, health, and experiences instead of long work hours and constant stress. From using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to analyze leases and financial statements to identifying recession-resistant commercial assets with long-term tenants, Ryan offers practical insights into the mindset and strategies behind building sustainable wealth. He also opens up about the personal side of success. Why he walked away from a high-income career, how becoming a father reshaped his priorities, and what it truly means to design a life on your own terms. In this conversation, Ryan and Chris discuss the importance of starting small, avoiding unnecessary risk, building wealth through intentional decisions, and why true success isn't measured by net worth, but by the freedom to be present for the people and experiences that matter most. 🎧 Hosted by: Chris Swartz 👤 Guest: Ryan Stackhouse – Commercial Real Estate Investor & Founder of Cashflow to Freedom Academy Ryan Stackhouse is a seasoned real estate investor with more than 20 years of experience building wealth through residential and commercial real estate. After starting with single-family rentals, he expanded into apartments, hotels, industrial properties, and medical facilities. Today, Ryan manages over $50 million in assets while helping others learn how to create financial independence and time freedom through strategic investing and intentional living.

In this episode of Smart Money, Chris Swartz sits down with Scott Hudspeth, marketing strategist, real estate and mortgage coach, entrepreneur, and relationship-building expert, to break down why human connection is becoming more valuable than ever in an AI-driven world. Scott shares his journey through more than two decades in the mortgage and real estate industries, where he has coached thousands of loan officers and agents on how to grow their businesses through authentic relationships, visibility, and consistent communication rather than chasing trends or transactional sales tactics. From building wealth through real estate investing and fix-and-flips to creating AI-powered coaching tools for agents, Scott explains how the future belongs to professionals who combine technology with genuine human connection. He also opens up about his personal transformation, moving away from chasing success, validation, and "happiness" toward finding peace, balance, and freedom on his own terms. In this conversation, Scott and Chris discuss the dangers of social media comparison, why most people already have opportunities sitting inside their phone contacts, and how simple daily habits can create massive business growth and deeper fulfillment. Hosted by: Chris Swartz Guest: Scott Hudspeth – Marketing Strategist, Mortgage & Real Estate Coach Scott Hudspeth is a nationally recognized marketing and business growth coach with over 20 years of experience helping mortgage professionals and real estate agents build sustainable, relationship-driven businesses. Through coaching, training, speaking, and his platforms MLO Live and Agent AI Fueled, Scott teaches professionals how to combine AI tools, social media, and authentic human connection to create long-term success without losing balance in life.

In this episode of Smart Money with Chris Swartz, Chris sits down with entrepreneur, AI strategist, speaker, and NY Times Best Selling Author John Lee to break down how money, leverage, mindset, and artificial intelligence are changing the way people build wealth in today's world. From working as a dishwasher in his family's restaurant to becoming an international entrepreneur and investor, John shares the unconventional lessons that helped him escape the traditional "trade time for money" mindset and unlock new opportunities through AI, investing, and leverage. This conversation dives deep into how wealth is really created — from passive income and asset ownership to mindset shifts, financial freedom, and using AI tools to build businesses faster than ever before. John also explains how he used AI to write his new book Money Unlocked in just three months despite being dyslexic, and why the future belongs to people who know how to solve problems and leverage technology. John's book Money Unlocked recently hit the NY Times Best Seller List, further cementing his reputation as one of the leading voices in entrepreneurship, AI, leverage, and financial freedom. If you've ever wondered how to think differently about money, create new income streams, or use AI to accelerate your business and financial growth, this episode breaks it down in a practical and powerful way.

In this powerful episode of Smart Money with Chris Swartz, Chris sits down with breathwork coach, educator, and nervous system expert Maria Brown to explore the hidden connection between wealth, performance, stress, and the nervous system. Most entrepreneurs focus on strategies, systems, AI, marketing, and scaling — but Maria explains why true success starts with regulating your body and mind first. From breathwork and sleep optimization to overcoming burnout and shifting from survival mode into creation mode, this episode dives deep into the science behind high performance and personal transformation. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, or stuck in constant "go mode," this conversation will completely change how you think about success and wealth. Hosted by: Chris Swartz Guest: Maria Brown Maria Brown is a breathwork coach, educator, speaker, and nervous system regulation expert helping entrepreneurs and high performers reduce stress, improve focus, increase energy, and create sustainable success through somatic practices and breathwork techniques. With a background in science research and education, Maria combines neuroscience, physiology, and practical tools to help people shift from survival mode into thriving.

In this episode of Smart Money with Chris Swartz, Chris sits down with real estate investor, broker, and entrepreneur Steve to break down how he built a multi-layered real estate ecosystem spanning brokerage, lending, title, and investment properties — and how he structures deals that allow him to acquire million-dollar assets with minimal to zero money out of pocket. From growing up around construction sites to leading a 125+ agent brokerage, Steve shares how his mindset shifted from transactional real estate sales to building generational wealth through creative deal structuring, leverage, and long-term asset accumulation. This conversation dives deep into how real estate actually works behind the scenes — from seller financing and private capital to DSCR lending, tax strategy, and the mindset shift required to move from earning income to building assets that produce income. If you've ever wondered how investors acquire large real estate deals, reduce taxes legally, and scale beyond active income, this episode breaks it down in a simple but powerful way. Hosted by: Chris Swartz Guest: Steven Seymour Steven is a real estate investor, broker, and entrepreneur with 20+ years in the industry. He leads a multi-state real estate brokerage and investment ecosystem that includes brokerage services, mortgage, title, hard money lending, and property development. He specializes in creative deal structuring, generational wealth building, and helping agents and investors transition from transactional income to long-term asset ownership.

In this insightful episode of Smart Money with Chris Swartz sits down with Deidre Quinn, top-producing real estate agent, investor, and host of Pending and Trending, to break down how real estate can become a powerful tool for building long-term wealth and financial freedom. With over 20 years of experience serving buyers and sellers across Philadelphia and the Poconos, Deidre shares practical strategies for navigating today's market, building generational wealth, creating cash flow through real estate, and avoiding costly mistakes investors make. From buying your first home to investing in rental properties and short-term rentals, this episode is packed with real-world advice for anyone looking to grow financially through real estate. Hosted by: Chris Swartz Guest: Deidre Quinn – Real Estate Agent, Investor & Host of Pending and Trending Deidre Quinn is a relationship-driven real estate professional with eXp Realty who has built her business almost entirely through referrals and repeat clients. She specializes in helping buyers, sellers, and investors throughout Philadelphia and the Poconos while also educating audiences through her podcast, Pending and Trending. Her passion is helping others build generational wealth through smart real estate strategies.

In this episode of Smart Money with Chris Swartz sits down with Rajive Jain, investor, former software engineer, and value investing strategist, to break down how he built a seven-figure portfolio by consistently beating the market through disciplined long-term investing. Rajive shares his journey from working in fashion to becoming a software engineer in Silicon Valley, before discovering his passion for investing in public companies. Over the past five years, he has compounded returns at approximately 24% annually by focusing on business fundamentals, financial statements, and long-term value creation instead of short-term trading. In this conversation, Rajive explains how he identifies high-quality companies, avoids emotional investing traps, and uses a simple but powerful system to find opportunities most investors overlook. He also shares why time, patience, and temperament matter more than predictions in building lasting wealth. 🎧 Hosted by: Chris Swartz 👤 Guest: Rajive Jain – Investor, Software Engineer & Value Investing Strategist Rajive Jain is a self-taught investor who transitioned from a decade-long career in fashion into software engineering and eventually public market investing. Inspired by the principles of Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Benjamin Graham, he developed a disciplined value investing framework focused on long-term compounding, financial statement analysis, and capital preservation. He has built a seven-figure portfolio by consistently identifying undervalued, high-quality businesses and holding them through long-term compounding cycles.