IAM2522 – Commercial Real Estate Investor and Podcast Host Helps Clients Navigate Real Estate

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Steffany Boldrini Teaser 00:00

Real estate investing is a much better proposition with higher returns and a lot less risk than being an angel investor at startups.

So that's why I decided to get into real estate investing. I had a friend at the time who was in real estate, commercial real estate investing for over 20 years.

And after a ton of conversations, that's how I came up with the conclusion that real estate is the best.

Intro 00:28

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:56

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today.

I have Steffany Boldrini of Monte Carlo Real Estate Investing and the Commercial Real Estate Investing from A to Z podcast. Steffany, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Steffany Boldrini 01:10

Thank you so much for having me, Gresh.

Gresham Harkless 01:12

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Steffany so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's building and growing.

And Steffany is originally from Brazil and has been living in Silicon Valley for the last 18 years.

During her career in Silicon Valley, she founded her own startup, a marketplace for natural and organic products.

She also had a successful career in technology sales. And most recently, she decided to start investing in commercial real estate full time.

Steffany, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Steffany Boldrini 01:41

Yes, I am very ready.

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Gresham Harkless 01:42

So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about your background and your CEO story and what led you to start your businesses.

Steffany Boldrini 01:53

Sure. I have been in, as you mentioned, in real estate, I'm sorry, in technology sales for about 10 years or so.

And I had, in the last couple of years, wanted to get into angel investing in startups, by virtue of being in Silicon Valley.

And it was a very clear and easy to see that real estate investing is a much better proposition with higher returns and a lot less risk than being an angel investor at startups.

So, that's why I decided to get into real estate investing. I had a friend at the time who was in commercial real estate investing for over 20 years.

And after a ton of conversations, that's how I came up with the conclusion that real estate is the best.

Gresham Harkless 02:45

Yeah, absolutely. I've always heard great things. I'm not in real estate investing or anything, but I've read a lot about it.

And I know how important it is and there's literally real estate everywhere no matter where you are in the world.

So it's something that is always necessary and kind of always something people are looking for.

Steffany Boldrini 03:01

Exactly.

Gresham Harkless 03:03

Nice. And, I know you have a podcast and you have your business that you're starting up as well too.

Can you drill down a little bit deeper into like what you're doing, how you help out people, but then also a little bit more about like what your podcast hopes to do.

Steffany Boldrini 03:14

Sure. So I decided to start the podcast because throughout my education, I could not find a lot of podcasts that were completely focused on commercial real estate.

There are a lot of podcasts on the residential side and multifamily side. And it was just by virtue of number one, not too many podcasts out there focused on commercial.

And number two, as I'm getting my career started in investing, it would be a good way to get my aim out. And of course, also build my network.

Gresham Harkless 03:49

Right. That makes sense. It's funny because I found that, especially with a podcast, there's a great opportunity to kind of network in a different type of way and meet people sometimes you wouldn't otherwise meet.

Steffany Boldrini 04:00

Yeah, absolutely. And the people in the industry are so generous, so kind, and it's been a blessing to meet each and every single person. They're wonderful.

Gresham Harkless 04:12

Yeah, absolutely. Do you know that if there's, or do you find that there's a reason why, you know, there's not as much information about commercial real estate?

Is it something like drastically different or is it something that, you know, just there hasn't been a lot of, I guess, awareness to?

Steffany Boldrini 04:26

I think that when people start thinking about investing in real estate, the first thing that they think about is buying a house and getting tenants in it.

And then they grow into a duplex, fourplex, and then potentially a multifamily. So there are not a lot of people compared to residential that are in commercial.

And that's the only reason why I think there aren't a lot of commercial podcasts out there.

Gresham Harkless 04:55

Yeah, well, I definitely appreciate you bringing light to that because definitely it is something that I've even heard a little bit about, but I haven't met a lot of commercial real estate agents.

It's less number in comparison to residential. So I definitely think that you bringing light to that and helping out as well helps increase their awareness and probably increase the amount of people that are investing in it as well.

Steffany Boldrini 05:21

Exactly. And there's not a ton of competition in that world. People are a little bit afraid because they will be dealing with different kinds of tenants, but there's nothing to be afraid of.

And a lot of times you do get better deals with a better return in commercial versus residential.

Especially nowadays, there is a lot of competition for multifamily properties.

Gresham Harkless 05:47

Exactly. Exactly. That makes perfect sense. And, now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce, and this could be for you or your organization, but what do you feel kind of makes you unique and sets you apart?

Steffany Boldrini 05:59

I think being incredibly well organized and connected and helping people out, not only getting help, but helping them when they need help.

You're always at the forefront of their minds when you're helping them out. And whenever you need help, they will be there for you just like you were there for them.

Gresham Harkless 06:20

Yeah, that makes sense. And I kind of see it from you even developing, creating the, the podcast as well too.

Because a lot of people that don't know about the commercial real estate world, you would basically have no way to know.

Bbut you creating, a podcast and creating a platform for people to be educated and to be informed about everything from A to Z as the, as the title says, it helps to give out to people and to, and I feel like everything, once you give it, give it out, it comes back to you as well.

Steffany Boldrini 06:49

Exactly. And I'm sure you have experienced that in multiple ways since you started your own podcast.

Gresham Harkless 06:55

Yes, absolutely. It's been a great opportunity. Who knows, you meet people that are commercial real estates on the other side of the country that you never would have met before.

So it's definitely a great networking and way to learn a lot more about things you don't even know about.

Steffany Boldrini 07:08

Exactly.

Gresham Harkless 07:10

Nice, nice, nice. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack.

And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Steffany Boldrini 07:22

One of my favorite books has been Never Split the Difference. And it's a negotiation book by one of the lead FBI negotiators.

And it's just incredible with a lot of very useful tips for negotiating anything, so highly recommended that everyone read it, whether you have a job or you're in business, you're always negotiating, so it's been very helpful.

Gresham Harkless 07:50

Yeah, absolutely. That makes perfect sense. I always hear people say that, you're, you're in negotiations and you're quote unquote in sales, no matter what, and where you are.

So you have to understand whether it be you doing big real estate of transactions or something as small as, making sure again, your kids to go to bed or, or getting your wife or your spouse to do X, Y, and Z.

You're always in negotiations. So more awareness to that helps out a lot.

Steffany Boldrini 08:13

Very true, very true. Everything is sales.

Gresham Harkless 08:16

Exactly, exactly. And so now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice.

Or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Steffany Boldrini 08:28

Ask for help. I'm very bad at asking for help. And I have been getting better and better over the last few months.

I don't know if you've heard of Landmark. It's a wonderful course that you take and I'm taking the project class most recently and one of the things that they really focus on is for you to ask help in the community and engage people.

And when you're telling your story and you show how passionate you are, you will engage the right people to be on your team.

And it's a little muscle that you're building, you need to definitely practice, but it's been incredible.

So I highly encourage if you're not If you're not very comfortable asking for help, I highly encourage you to get that muscle built and you will see your business flourish.

Gresham Harkless 09:24

Yes, I think that's a great nugget. And if you see my younger business self, tell him that as well, because I also struggle with that.

I have heard of the Landmark. I haven't actually learned a lot about it, but it's great to hear about that program.

And I find that I always say, and I've heard that, the greatest gift you have of somebody is to give.

But a lot of times people want to give, but if you don't ask for help, you don't ask for assistance. You don't give the opportunity for people to give.

So, I love that CEO nugget because not only, are you getting help, but you're also giving somebody else the blessing to be able to give as well too.

Steffany Boldrini 09:56

Exactly. And not only that, people don't know what you need and it's incredible how many people in your network know someone or know how to get to where you need to go. And we don't know because we're not sharing that.

And they don't know that you need that help. So just by sharing, it's incredible. I highly recommend it.

Gresham Harkless 10:19

Yes, definitely. So thank you for that reminder. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a quote-unquote CEO.

We're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. And Steffany, I wanted to ask you, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Steffany Boldrini 10:34

For me, it's making sure that your team succeeds with you and you'll never get anywhere alone.

And I want to not only give credit, I also want to make sure that my entire team is successful as well.

And for that, of course, you also need people who want to be successful. So you need to pick the right people in your team. But I'm a firm believer of everyone winning together.

Gresham Harkless 11:04

Yes, and there's more than enough opportunity and success to go around. So I appreciate you for that definition, appreciate you for all the awesome things that you're doing to help out, people in commercial real estate, but also your team as well.

So I wanted to pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know.

And then of course, how best they can get ahold of you and subscribe to your podcast.

Steffany Boldrini 11:24

Well, I highly encourage if you have not been a real estate investor yet, I encourage you to at least talk to your network and start learning about it.

It's something that you need to plan for your own future. And it's a very proven technique of financial freedom.

So I highly encourage everyone to start learning and taking care of your own future.

Gresham Harkless 11:48

Absolutely. And people that want to reach out to you, what's the best way for them to do that?

Steffany Boldrini 11:52

You can reach out to me on LinkedIn. I will send you the exact link and they can contact me at any time. I'm very responsive over there.

Gresham Harkless 12:01

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. We'll take that link and we'll have it in the show notes.

So by the time you're listening to this, but Steffany, thank you so much. I appreciate you. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Steffany Boldrin 12:10

Thank you very much, Gresh, for what you're doing. I really appreciate it.

Outro 12:13

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Subscribe and leave us a five-star rating. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

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