Today's episode features the Co-Founder of Tiny Capital, Andrew Wilkinson. Tiny Capital owns 30+ companies and focuses on buying, starting, and investing in internet businesses. On this episode, Chris and Andrew discuss his childhood creating MetaLab which led him to help design some of the most well known companies like Slack and CoinBase. They also talk about the process of acquiring businesses, Andrew's habit of starting businesses when he's bored, his experience going public with WeCommerce and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Andrew on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/awilkinson (02:51) - Andrews Background MetaLab The Making of an American Capitalist  (09:50) - How did you think about money at an early age?  (13:54) - Do you consider yourself a designer? How did you learn this? (17:17) - Did you have founder’s guilt when it came time to replace yourself? (19:21) - Doing the Things You Hate Doing in Business (21:35) - Do you actually like reading a P&L and balance sheets? (22:16) - What’s an immediate ‘no’ of all the businesses that cross your desk? (26:00) - Once you’ve agreed to buy a business, what’s the process like going forward to close? (29:32) - Do you negotiate? (30:13) - Structuring CEO Comp and What Questions You’re Trying to Answer When Developing a Plan (32:27) - Will you steer founders to go get a bank loan for a new company project or will you deploy capital? (34:43) - If you had one hour to talk to each of your CEOs per year, what would you discuss with them? Tao of Charlie Munger (36:09) - Twitter Q: What is the key role, or person, to take a company from $500k-1M in revenue to $5-10M? (38:00) - You speak very highly of your partner Chris. What do you do and what does he do? (39:03) - Do y’all have a standing meeting or when do you communicate? (39:51) - WeCommerce  (43:17) - A Traditional IPO vs. a Reverse Takeover  (45:20) - When did you decide it was time to go public? (46:11) - What was your involvement in the Stamped Acquisition? (47:28) - What have you learned from Bill Ackman and how did you meet him? CharityBuzz (51:26) - What's your process like to go from an idea to the launch of a business? (58:19) - What’s the biggest thing content creators are missing when it comes to monetization? Joe Rogan Got Ripped Off by Spotify (1:02:34) - If you were the CEO of Twitter, what would you do to change the company? (1:06:38) - Is there a childhood experience that shaped where you would go in life?  (1:07:49) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:08:57) - How can people get in touch with you? Twitter: www.twitter.com/awilkinson

Chris Bakke is the co-founder and CEO of Laskie. Previously, he was the co-founder of Interviewed (acquired by Indeed), COO of 42Floors (acquired by Knotel), and managed business development for Zillow and RentJuice (acquired by Zillow). On this episode, Chris discusses his experiences selling his companies and then working for the acquirers such as Zillow and Indeed during the pandemic. He also discusses the growth of the freelancer economy and how companies are starting to think about their approach to full-time employees vs. contract workers. Finally, they talk about founding Laskie, Twitter and the founders-dilemma of deciding whether to sell when an offer comes by or continuing to build. Enjoy! (02:18) - Chris’ Background Working for Early Stage and Public Tech Companies (04:42) - What was it like working at Indeed in the midst of the pandemic? (07:47) - What is it like to transition from a founder of a company to being an employee after an acquisition? (10:09) - When you take on the new role do you know what’s required of you from the jump, or is it expected your role might change? (13:01) - Are there questions that you wish you asked in previous acquisitions to understand what it will be like on the other side? (15:13) - How did the idea for Laskie come about? How do you describe what y’all do? (19:02) - How long does it take to get approved as a vendor? (21:14) - How many times do companies hire full time people when a freelancer would do just fine? Are we entering a world where companies cut down on full time people in exchange for more freelancers? (24:31) - How do you overcome the issue of freelancer loyalty between competitors? (28:23) - Personality Testing in Freelancing (30:40) - Should hirers think about the idea of 1-3 days of working on a project with a potential employee before deciding to hire them? (36:04) - Has there been anything unique in this COVID era in terms of requested services you’ve seen? (39:18) - Chris’ Experience Working With the Same Group of Founders for All of His Companies (40:10) - Are the roles of the group pretty clear each time you start a company together? (45:31) - Was there someone who told you to stop doing founder-led sales and bring someone on or was it something you had to figure out? (47:07) - What is “the game” of being a venture-backed company? (50:19) - Was your goal to be the next billion-dollar company or did you know you wanted in and out in two years? (53:22) - Do you think there’s a lot of companies that should have sold much earlier but keep pushing for that $10B sale? (56:42) - What did it do to your psyche when you saw that first offer from a founder's perspective? (1:01:45) - Why are you bullish on San Francisco/Silicon Valley? (1:05:47) - If you were CEO of Twitter for the next year, what would you do? (1:09:17) - Do you have a childhood experience that put you on your life path? (1:12:20) - If you had a billboard on the busiest highway in Danville, what would it say? (1:23:43) - How can people reach you? Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ChrisJBakke LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bakk3/

Ray Washburne is the owner of the Mi Cocina restaurants, Dallas Highland Park Village, and former President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.  On this episode, Chris and Ray talk about Ray's career path in real estate and how he developed Highland Park Village in Dallas into nearly $380 million in annual sales. They also talk about Ray starting one of the most popular Tex Mex chains in Texas, his experience working under President Trump, OPIC, and much more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital (02:27) - Ray’s Background and Career (04:14) - How did you get started in real estate? (05:16) - How do you find operating platforms that you want to back? (06:58) - How do you think about getting a deal done? (08:05) - How Chris and Ray Met (08:42) - How Ray Bought Highland Park Village (11:50) - Developing the Property (13:11) - How does it work bringing in super-luxury tenants? (15:10) - What does ‘Retail is Dead’ mean to you? Why is it wrong? (16:35) - How do the personal shoppers work in your spaces? (18:51) - What has Park House done for the center? (20:55) - Why is Dallas winning so much? (22:21) - Understanding the Consumer From a Property Management Perspective (26:00) - The Story of Mi Cocina and Where it is Today (30:40) - Why do brands not travel well? (32:04) - What’s the long-term vision for the brand? (33:20) - What was it like owning a restaurant in 2020? (38:01) - Are there places where you’re now saving money due to COVID? (40:43) - How important is it for a restaurant to have a signature drink or dish that people can rally behind? (43:26) - How do restaurants make money? (44:36) - Is there anything that you’re seeing that anticipates the next roaring 20’s? (46:53) - Thinking About National Competition (48:21) - Are most retailers located in major centers to make money or is it for marketing/branding? (49:12) - What was it like working for President Trump? (53:19) - Is there a time or interaction with him that you’ll never forget? (55:31) - Was the division between Trump and top Democrats just for show or was it real? (56:31) - What is OPIC and why should private business owners be thinking about it? (59:52) - How do you determine which companies\countries have the entrepreneurs to drive capital? (1:01:03) - The Chinese Belt & Road Initiative (1:01:48) - What’s the coolest project you worked on? (1:03:19) - Where is the world growing that we in America aren’t thinking about? (1:04:54) - How are we going to be competitive against China? (1:05:35) - What’s interesting to you going forward now that you’re out of government? (1:07:44) - What’s the pitch of Downtown vs. Uptown Dallas? (1:08:39) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped the direction of your life? (1:09:52) - What’s one thing you believe that a lot of people do not? (1:11:09) - Can we keep a clean government? (1:11:33) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:12:02) -  If you owned the biggest billboard in DFW and you could put anything on it, what would it say? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Chris Torres is an artist and creator of Nyan Cat, one of the most popular memes in internet history. Vangeli Gelekas is currently building the largest NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) artist community on the web and helping artists leave the constraints of corporate commissions behind through NFTs.  On this episode, Chris and Van deep dive into NFT's and how the ownership of digital assets is going to change the world as we know it. They talk about the community of artists that currently make up their section of the NFT economy, how the average Joe can get into this world, why transactions are made via cryptocurrency, and more. This is is an episode you may want to listen to more than once, enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Chris Torres on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/PRguitarman Vangeli Gelekas on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/NetGenius (02:36) - What is an NFT? (Non-Fungible Token) (04:35) - How did you get into this space? (07:29) - Where are the best communities for NFTs? NBA Top Shot  (09:21) - Is an NFT only digital or can it be for physical assets? (10:52) - If everybody has a screenshot of a piece of art, how is it really that valuable?  (12:37) - What is Nyan Cat? (14:10) - How can you monetize Nyan Cat & NFTs? (15:06) - Why Screenshotting the NFT is What We Want  (18:04) - If I buy Nyan Cat, what do I do with it? (19:44) - How Much Chris Sold Nyan Cat For (20:46) - Who’s buying NFTs right now? (26:18) - How do I join the community? (28:58) - Is there a leader of this community like Shitoshi in Bitcoin? (31:07) - How does the average Joe get into this world with respect? (40:11) - How do you create the NFT and get it on the Blockchain? (44:13) - If I buy Nyan Cat, can I ask you never to sell another one or how does the ownership work? (50:06) - Do you have to display the purchased art anywhere to build momentum? What happens if you don’t? Marketplace: Foundation (55:45) - Do NFTs only live on ETH? (58:05) - The Transition from Physical Asset Value to Digital Asset Value (59:42) - Could we turn this podcast episode into an NFT? (1:01:21) - Can there be fractional ownership of NFTs? (1:04:08) - Where can I go look at NFT freak’s art? (1:05:47) - How did y’all meet each other? (1:08:25) - Chris, why are you doing this? (1:14:02) - Wrap-Up: What do you want people to take away from this episode if they came in with zero knowledge about this space? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On this episode, Chris dives into what is known as the 'Barbell Theory' in real estate. He discusses how he came to learn about the theory and how folks in the industry can capitalize on the theory by getting ahead of the growth of an area before it happens. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (01:00) - How Chris Came to Learn About The Barbell Theory (01:52) - The Barbell Theory Google Earth Example of Fort Worth Barbell Theory (08:25) - Acting on the Barbell Theory/ Buying in Front of the Growth (13:28) - The Time Horizon for Growth (15:09) - Wrap Up The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Mitchell Baldridge is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner with vast experience in corporate accounting, business advisory, and financial planning. His passion is building lifelong relationships with business owners to help them thrive.  On this episode, Mitchell and Chris discuss the nuances in financial planning for business owners, best practices to take before selling your business, bulletproof ways for normal people to save on taxes, Twitter and more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Mitchell on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/BaldridgeCPA (02:51) - Mitchell’s Story and What He Does Today (05:46) - Knowing How to Make Money vs. Knowing How to Invest Money (06:40) - Thought Experiment: Family business owner, late in a career, $50 M company w/ three kids & grandkids and no planning. What do you recommend? (16:02) - Is there a certain dollar amount you need to start thinking about this planning? (17:03) - Setting up a Giving Plan (21:10) - The Fractional Family Offices & Creative Planning (24:32) - What technology are you using right now? (25:30) - Twitter Q: Why do most CPAs act like they work for the IRS instead of their client? (28:58) - What’s it like to be so intimately involved with people making incredible amounts of money? (30:22) - If you’re selling your business, are there best practices to do a few years out? (32:35) - What’s a Loan Out Corp? (34:48) - Do they need audited financials years in advance? (35:34) - What is QSBS? (Qualified Small Business Stock) (28:25) - How does a SPAC work? (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) (40:17) - What are some outlandish ways you’ve seen people avoid taxes? (41:36) - Is there a bulletproof way to save on taxes for the average person? (42:59) - What’s a cash balance pension plan? (45:12) - What are the benefits for Multi-Family vs. Commercial asset classes with Cost & Bonus Depreciation? (54:42) - What pieces of real properties (parking areas, concrete on commercial areas, etc.) are often overlooked for bonus depreciation? (56:12) - Is the best practice to call your CPA after every deal? (58:04) - How do you most efficiently structure a holding company with both operating and real estate investments? (1:00:07) - How do you best structure family businesses that will succeed from one generation to another? (1:02:34) - What is the coolest way you’ve seen a family set benchmarks for grandkids to actually earn money from a plan? (1:05:36) - How are you thinking about growing your business going forward? (1:08:46) - Twitter as a Mode for Growth (1:12:55) - Nick Huber (1:16:40) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped the direction of your life? (1:18:50) - Is there something you believe that a lot of people around you don’t? (1:19:38) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:20:30) - Do you have a book that you love? Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Choose yourself by James Altucher (1:21:41) - What’s the best way for people to reach you? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

James Beshara is a full-time Angel Investor & Founder of Magic Mind. He also is the host of the podcast Below the Line.  In his third appearance on The FORT, James and Chris discuss the origins of their friendship, the concept of lives being made on 12 seconds of courage, and the metrics of their first venture fund. James also details his experience building Tilt, which was acquired by Airbnb in 2017, and the downside of that journey that you won't ever hear from other start-ups in the media. He talks about running out of cash while trying to find a suitable buyer for the business, having to lay-off employees, and taking the news of the acquisition to the team as well as transitioning to Airbnb. Finally, James and Chris discuss the ego-centric world of tech, what it means to be happy, the philosophy behind building a business, and more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ James Beshara on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamesbeshara James' Podcast: www.belowthelinepod.com (03:26) - How James and Chris Met (07:22) - Lives Are Made on 12 Seconds of Courage (12:15) - Going to South Africa (16:24) - The Metrics for Chris & James First Fund (Cat Empire) (24:20) - The Process of Deciding to Start a Venture Fund (30:02) - The Downside of Building and Exiting Tilt (Acquired by Airbnb) Below the Line: On Failure  (36:10) - The Last Few Months of Tilt (50:03) - Telling the Team About the Acquisition (59:06) - Initial Experiences at Airbnb (1:02:10) - What’s the process like getting stock in a pre-IPO company? (1:05:12) - Being Made to Create (1:07:20) - Working Alongside AirBnb’s CEO (1:10:55) - When someone is emerging with a start-up, are they getting executive coaches along the way? (1:17:04) - Vulnerability is a Strength  (1:22:33) - Ego in Today’s Society (1:25:27) - Envy (1:30:51) - Eastern Philosophy & Starting a Business (1:33:17) - Wheat does an internal pursuit mean? (1:36:36) - What does it mean to be content? Living life backwards by David Gibson (1:49:08) - Clubhouse and James Being One of the First Investors The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Patrick Dossett is a Navy SEAL and Co-Founder of Madefor, a ten-month program that applies the principles of modern neuroscience, psychology, and physiology to make your brain and body better. On this episode, Patrick talks about his journey of becoming a SEAL and the grueling physical and mental process that develops the greatest soldiers on earth. He also talks about his transition out of the SEAL Teams into business school at Wharton and his time working at Google. Finally, he and Chris discuss launching Madefor right as the pandemic hit, learning from his Co-founder Blake Mycoskie (founder of Tom's Shoes) and how Madefor is aimed to help bring peak potential out of every student. Enjoy! (02:31) - Pat’s Story Growing Up Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko (03:46) - What was it that drove you to want to become a SEAL? (05:36) - Pat's Journey of Starting at the Naval Academy and Getting to BUD/S (08:31) - What’s the breakdown of mental vs. physical toughness in being a SEAL? (13:01) - Hell Week & Focusing on What’s in Front of You (19:20) - Sleep During Hell Week (20:36) - Is there a reason why we aren’t taught more about focusing on the little things in front of us? Why do we only look at the 'big wins’? Growth and Fixed Mindsets - Carol Dweck (25:30) - Was the Dweck research outcome due to more nature or nurture? (26:46) - What’s the main reason a SEAL mission fails? (32:30) - There’s Always an Opportunity to Quit (37:20) - How was your transition out of the teams? What did business school do for you? (40:58) - What was the difference in ‘thinking outside the box’ in the SEALS vs. your time working at Google? (47:25) - How did you get the idea for Madefor? (52:23) - What have you learned from your co-founder, Blake, that’s made him a great businessman? (55:24) - What is the product you’ve built? What’s the curriculum? (1:02:34) - Do people taking the class get to know other students or is there only communication with the company? (1:04:06) - How many people have gone through the program to date? (1:05:09) - What happens during a month of the program? (1:08:35) - What’s the main reason why people show up for this program? (1:14:29) - What’s one thing you believe that most people don’t? (1:15:03) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:18:44) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:19:26) - How can people get in touch with you? (1:20:31) - Wrap Up www.getmadefor.com Madefor on Instagram: @madefor Patrick on Instagram: @Madefor_pat The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

How would you go about doing your first real estate deal with no experience and no capital? On this episode, Chris answers that question as he walks through the process of executing your first deal. He explains why you need to have immense knowledge of your market, understanding how to approach banks, the process of raising capital, and more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital (00:57) - Pick an Asset Class and a Market The FORT Podcast RE #93: How to get your first job in Real Estate (02:24) - Get Your Real Estate License (04:08) - Borrowing From a Bank (FHA Loan) (07:54) - Get to Know Your Market (10:01) - Learn How to Underwrite a Property (16:48) - Raising Money The FORT Podcast RE #81: How to Underwrite (20:39) - Setting Terms with Investors (21:26) - Understanding What a ‘Good Deal’ Looks Like (23:31) - Cold-Calling Properties & Talking to Brokers (25:08) - Finding Sub-Contractors (27:37) - After You Get a Property Under Contract (29:02) - Property Management (32:18) - More on FHA Loans & Chris’ First Deal (33:41) - Wrap Up The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On this episode, Nick Huber joins Chris for his second appearance on The FORT podcast. Nick is the founder of The Sweaty Startup whose mission is to help people do common things uncommonly well. Nick and Chris discuss his massive growth on Twitter over the last 6 months and what kind of value that's brought him. They talk self-storage and Nick's 12 properties under contract as well as how he was able to raise the money for those deals. They touch on the importance of providing value and content online, the steps Chris took in his business career to get where he is now, Nick's Real Estate course, and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/  Nick Huber: Bolt Storage The Sweaty Startup Website Nick's Real Estate Masterclass Nick on Twitter (02:43) - Walk Us Through Selling Your Self-Storage Business and What Y’all Went Through in 2020 (03:54) - Was there a moment when you realized that it was time to sell? (04:32) - How long did it take you all to sell? (05:32) - How much has your growth on Twitter changed your world? (06:25) - How were you able to earn $100k in consulting? (07:39) - How Chris and Nick Engage with Potential Investors (10:52) - Nick’s Thread that Was Published on Morning Brew that Led to 30-40k Followers on Twitter The Thread (11:52) - Nick and Chris’ Thoughts on Giving Information Away on Twitter and Handling Trolls (14:38) - How do you meet the really big people on Twitter? (15:07) - Chris’ Twitter & Podcast Goals (17:32) - Nick’s Business Goals and The Steps Chris Took to Get to Where He is Now (22:27) - Thinking of Hiring as an Asset and Not an Expense (25:40) - Clubhouse (27:17) - Twitter Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t doing real estate?  (31:56) - Nick’s Real Estate Course (The Non-Sales Pitch) (33:58) - Podia (35:35) - What asset class would you jump into if you couldn’t do self-storage? (37:04) - How are you underwriting your expected churn? (38:40) - Why do you continue to focus on the NorthEast? (40:42) - What’s the most common thing you do to increase value when you take over a property? (42:44) - Nick’s Advertising Process (43:09) - Twitter Q: How are you sourcing and getting things under contract so quickly? (44:37) - Working with Brokers (49:41) - Cash-Out Refinancing (51:05) - Demographic Differences Between Rural NE and The Big Cities (51:50) - Customers Taking Advantage of Customer Service Reps (54:50) - What type of person are you hiring? (56:14) - What do the first 2 weeks look like after closing 12 properties? (58:12) - Twitter Q: Buy and Hold forever vs. Buy and Sell in 5-7 years? (1:01:28) - Being an LP (1:05:36) - Wrap Up The FORT is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Today's episode features Tomas Hoyos, the Co-Founder & CEO of airsubs, a platform launched in the midst of the pandemic that allows creators to connect virtually with their audience to teach classes, host fitness courses and more all while monetizing as digital creators. Tomas also is the founder of Voro, a healthcare social network where people share doctor recommendations with their friends and neighbors, research doctors, and book appointments. On this episode, Tomas touches on his childhood moving from Venezuela to the United States and the trial his family went through during multiple military coups and the Bay of Pigs. He and Chris also discuss the pivot to launching airsubs during the early days of the pandemic, how COVID affected Voro, and the trend of the creator economy exploding due to the events of the last year. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/   (02:56) - Tomas’ Story Growing Up and What Led Him to Airsubs www.airsubs.com (04:16) - Tomas’ Experience Growing Up in Venezuela (05:36) - What was the inspiration behind Voro? www.Voro.com (10:02) - When did you decide to go all-in with Voro? (10:56) - Did you bring on a co-founder? (11:27) - What happened when the pandemic hit? (16:44) - How do you describe airsubs? (20:29) - Was Mike Maples the main encourager for y’all to ‘try anything’ in the midst of the world turning upside down? (22:13) - What was your mandate to the team in the aftermath of that conversation? How long was it until you launched airsubs from that call? (23:03) - Did you code everything out or go no-code? (23:38) - What was the genesis of getting your first creator onboard? (27:13) - What other types of use-cases are you seeing on the platform? (29:04) - Re-Selling Content (30:14) - Can you embed your profile into a website or do you drive users to the airsubs website? (31:00) - Is there a community aspect within airsubs? (31:41) - What’s the network effect like? (33:24) - What tools do you offer to the creator? (36:14) - How are you getting inspiration for new tools to add? (37:27) - Has there been anything your customers have asked you to build that was surprising? (38:33) - Is there any reason a creator would go back to in-person events after seeing such success online? (40:02) - What are your thoughts on Clubhouse and the idea of monetizing conversations? (43:48) - How many people are working on the business? (44:48) - Is it fair to say you’ve found Product-Market fit with airsubs? (46:04) - How are you thinking about financing going forward? (46:56) - How are you thinking about Voro’s growth amidst airsubs’ success? (47:58) - Is your team completely remote? How do you think about growing the team? (48:40) - What have your investors done for you that you didn’t expect? (50:02) - Did you have a childhood experience that shaped the trajectory of your life? (52:56) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (53:37) - What’s the best book you have ever read? Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Barbarian Days by William Finnegan A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean (54:30) - What’s the best way for people to reach you or find airsubs? Twitter: www.Twitter.com/HomasToyos Instagram: www.Instagram.com/HomasToyos [email protected]  

Matteo Franceschetti is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, a proprietary technology reinventing the way people sleep. Eight graduated from Y Combinator in the summer 2015 and from Stanford’s StartX program in May 2015. On this episode, Matteo offers insight into the nuances of how and why we sleep. He touches on how various inputs affect our quality of sleep such as food, caffeine, alcohol and supplements. He also describes various levels of sleep: Light, Deep and REM. Finally, Matteo and Chris talk about Eight Sleep's technology and how it has been able to help people improve their sleep. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (01:42) - Matteo’s Background (02:30) - How did you get the idea to start Eight Sleep? (03:34) - What was your experience like going through Y Combinator? Y Combinator (04:26) -  Why do you characterize sleep as a form of fitness? (05:34) - Why do you suggest compressing your sleep from 8 hours to 6 hours? (06:33) - How do you define light sleep, deep sleep, and REM? (07:58) - What happens to the body when you’re sleeping? Why do we need sleep? (09:51) - Does the amount of total time in bed but not asleep benefit you at all? (10:24) - What effect does alcohol have on sleep? (12:21) - What effect does eating before bed have on sleep? (13:29) - How does caffeine impact sleep? (14:39) - How does exercise and when you exercise affect your sleep? (16:02) - Does having sex before you go to sleep affect your sleep? (16:27) - Do you recommend sleep supplements like Melatonin? (17:35) - What are your thoughts on going to sleep around the same time every day? (20:43) - How does your mood before going to bed impact your sleep and how you wake up? (21:56) - Is there data on sleep quality for couples vs. those sleeping alone? (22:58) - Why do people dream? (24:17) - Why are some people really heavy sleepers and others light sleepers? (24:57) - How does age affect sleep? (26:17) - Does gender affect sleep? (26:40) - How does sleeping on a mattress for most folks affect sleep vs. people in poverty that have worse sleeping conditions? (27:40) - How does light and temperature in the room affect sleep? (28:21) - What is it about the products you offer that make sleep better for people? (30:00) - How are these mattresses able to control body temperature? (30:34) - What type of information do the mattress sensors pick up about the user? (31:53) - Does the mattress differ in terms or softness or firmness? Does it even matter? (32:50) - Do pillows matter? (33:16) - What data do customers get in the morning on the Eight Sleep app? (33:47) - Circulating Water into the Mattress (34:46) - Can you describe the pods and cover you offer? (35:58) - What can folks who travel a lot do to make sleeping better? (36:30) - Is there a childhood experience that shaped the trajectory of your life? (37:15) - Do you have a morning routine? (38:05) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (38:14) - If you had a billboard that was on a major highway, what would you put on it? (39:08) - How can people reach you? eightsleep.com Follow Matteo on Twitter

Jeff Worn is President & CEO of South Georgia Pecan Company, the largest nut-sheller in the world.  On this episode, Chris and Jeff discuss taking over his family business, growing the company to $300M in revenue, the domestic and global pecan industry, much of the industry nuances that are influenced by a growing market in China, and more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (02:49) - Jeff’s Story Growing Up and What Lead Him to Takeover Southern Georgia Pecan (07:35) - What did your family business look like when you first entered the picture? (12:31) - Why aren’t there government subsidies for pecans but there are for other nuts? (15:34) - What is the dynamic of a contract between you and growers? (18:46) - Verbal Agreements in a Tight-Knit Industry (20:22) - What months are considered ‘Pecan Season’? (24:53) - Is the pecan market relatively new in China? (26:23) - What happens from the day you pick up the pecans all the way to delivering to the final customers? (28:05) - How do you measure the quality of a pecan? (31:25) - How long do they sit in cold storage? (32:09) - How much of the plant-work is done by machines vs. humans? (32:39) - What sets the market for pecans? Why does it fluctuate so much? (34:25) - What causes a bad crop season? (35:17) - Are y'all making the final product in-house or are you just delivering pecans to folks who will make the ice cream, pies, etc.? (36:17) - Is there a pecan allergy or is it just peanut allergies? (37:20) - How long has this business been in your family? (38:08) - Are there a lot of new entrants into the industry or is it largely family-based? (39:28) - What were the big leaps you made since starting off in a sales role? (48:08) - Building a Plant Out in El Paso (50:33) - When did you become President & CEO? (53:01) - What are the top things that stood out to you when you went about changing a 100-year old culture? (56:52) - Do you have an end goal? (58:20) - What does the institutional capital that’s entering the market look like? (58:57) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped the trajectory of your life? (1:01:26) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (1:03:08) - If you owned a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? The FORT with Chris Podcast is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Brady Wood is an influencer and innovator in the entertainment concept and real estate development space. He has the proven ability to “see the unseen” which allows him to navigate the complex and nuanced art of concept creation. On this episode, Brady and Chris discuss his journey from buying bars and restaurants in Dallas to founding Woodhouse and developing major mixed-use projects such as The Star in Frisco facility utilized by The Dallas Cowboys. They also discuss the private membership club industry and how they were able to navigate the pandemic with projects like Park House in Highland Park. Finally, Brady gives his thoughts on concepts like Ghost-kitchens and how to better the relationship between restaurants and leasers to keep these small businesses alive. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (02:47) - Brady’s Story Owning His First Businesses and Buying Bars in Dallas (07:53) - Did you end up selling all of those businesses or did you hold onto them? (09:08) - What was the next step for you after owning bars and restaurants in Dallas? (13:12) - Can you describe what you do today at Woodhouse? (16:24) -  Working with Jerry Jones to Develop The Star Facility in Frisco (18:58) - What did the developers do right when building The Star that others should think about in terms of bringing someone like you into the fold of a project? (23:13) - When someone like The Cowboys built out The Star, is WoodHouse putting together a plan to present to the family and developing everything once it’s approved? (25:14) - How do you come up with these concepts and gain inspiration? (27:32) - Why are great restaurants great? Why do some fail? (34:17) - Can you describe what a partnership deal between the leaser and the restauranteur looks like? (37:11) - Why aren’t more folks pursuing these types of partnerships? (39:24) - Assuming the partnership is in place, why do restaurants still fail or succeed from an operating standpoint? (43:08) - How did you develop and execute the Park House Club concept in Highland Park, Dallas? (46:39) - How do you deal with such a long waiting list? (4,100 Currently) (47:59) - Is there something unique that the space has been used for that you never expected? (50:07) - Gateway and First-Tier Cities (53:51) - What is the future of private paid membership clubs? (55:28) - Should more restaurants think about the Ghost-Kitchen model? (57:17) - What are some things we should expect in the next year and over the next 5 for hospitality? (1:01:28) - When can we expect music festivals to come back? (1:02:40) - What are the economics of a music festival? (1:04:17) - Do you act as the consultant to the festival or do you own the ones you’re involved with? (1:04:47) - Could the private membership clubs not exist in small marker cities or do they require a certain demographic? Common House Club in Charlottesville (1:06:39) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped the trajectory of your life? (1:09:30) - What’s one thing you believe that most people don’t believe? (1:10:38) - What’s the best book you’ve ever read? Richard Branson Books Elon Musk’s Biography Empire of the Summer Moon (1:11:43) - If you owned a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? (1:12:14) - What’s the best way for people to get in touch with you? Brady on LinkedIn Woodhouse Online

Sean Dalfen is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Dalfen Industrial and is responsible for the firm’s investment activities, the origination of new business, and implementation of the last mile investment strategy. Sean is also a member of the firm’s Executive Advisory Committee and the General Partner’s Fund IV Investment Committee. On this episode, Sean and Chris discuss his journey into the real estate world with his father, his decision to launch a fund business within the organization, why he's bullish on Industrial, Dalfen's Last Mile analysis, and more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Check out Dalfen Industrial: www.dalfen.com Find Sean on LinkedIn (03:15) - Sean’s Story Growing Up and Leading to His Role Today (05:44) - Is there anything that stands out that your father did with you at a young age to keep you hungry and motivated? (07:18) - What did the company look like when you first joined? (08:52) - Why did you decide to launch a fund business? (11:26) - How large was your first fund? (12:17) - Can you paint a picture of the benefits of working with institutional capital vs. private capital? (14:02) - Do you raise institutional funds in-house? (15:02) - What’s a Top-Up? (15:23) - What is your role today as President and CIO? (16:21) - What are the big fundamentals that are appealing to you in looking at the future of Industrial? (20:58) - Last Mile Analysis (24:29) - How do you use the analysis to create deals? (26:02) -  Dalfen’s 4 Buckets (Value-Add, Core, Core-Plus & Development) (27:27) - What are the fundamentals of a Core vs. Value-Add deal? (29:03) - How do you think about development? (31:57) - Do you do any forwards with development? (33:02) - Do you still participate in Co-GP or JV deals? (33:47) - Is there a situation that comes to mind where you would get into a JV deal? (35:02) - Is there a data point that you look for when folks say that Industrial will become over-built? (38:50) - Is there anything interesting about working with Amazon? (40:53) - Do you have any insight on the border trade-market? (43:07) - How are your offices set up across different markets? How do you manage them? (45:10) - How do you describe a full-team setup? (46:00) - Are there different rules and guidelines when it comes to ownership in Canada vs. the USA? (48:01) - Capital Markets for Industrial: where do they sit today vs. pre-COVID? (49:48) - Do you have a childhood experience that helped shape the trajectory of your life? (51:01) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (51:31) - What’s your favorite book? Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

When starting a career in RE Private Equity, should you stay small or grow a platform? On this episode, Chris answers that question as he walks through the process of growing a real estate company from a one-man band to 25+ people. He explains how your role changes as you do more deals, why hiring is inevitable, the challenges of hiring the right people, implementing processes and operations, and more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/ Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (01:27) - When You’re in the Early Stages of a Small Business (1-2 People) (04:03) - Finding and Setting Up Your HQ (04:41) - Determining the Future of Your Company (05:13) - Option 1: Doing 1-2 Deals Per Year Accounting Software - Quickbooks (13:04) - What happens after closing your first deal and you’re looking for your next deal? (14:52) - How will your role change as your company grows? (15:39) - “Doubling” Your Business After Year 1 (17:20) - Hiring a Commercial Loan Assistant (19:11) - Challenges in Hiring Someone (22:08) - Hiring Asset Managers in Year 3 (24:01) - Creating Processes (25:58) - Increasing Your Prices and Preserving Fee Streams (29:09) - Making the Leap from 5-6 People to 25 people (37:31) - Wrap Up The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On this episode, Chris talks with the anonymous "Real Estate God" (www.Twitter.com/TheRealEstateG6) about how and why he launched his online persona to tweet about Real Estate. They also discuss his experience working in Private Equity in San Francisco, the future of the office, retail, and hotels post-COVID, and the appeal of multi-family as an asset class. Finally, they talk about The System, an online course released by The Real Estate God to help both RE newbies and seasoned veterans attain true wealth through real estate. Enjoy! You can become your own Private Equity firm here with TREG's course: The System - www.gumroad.com/l/trdbw Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (02:06) - The Real Estate God’s Background and How He Got to Where He is Today (02:35) - How did you go about creating your online persona? (03:22) - Can you describe the type of work being done at the PE firm you’re working for? (04:24) - What type of office are you investing in? (05:15) - How do you source deals? (05:49) - Can you describe from your perspective how office, retail, and hotels were affected in 2020 and their future looking forward?  (10:36) - What type of retail do you play in? (11:17) - What’s going on in San Francisco from your perspective? (14:39) - Are you worried about the tech jobs leaving SF due to WFH? (15:25) - Why is the government so restrictive there in regards to office? (17:34) - What’s the leasing activity like in SF right now? (19:08) - Are employees allowed in the offices in SF right now? (19:38) - What’s keeping you in SF? (20:39) - Can you walk us through a recent office deal in this office environment? (22:53) - Can you describe the seller’s mindset in this situation? (23:42) - The Methodology of Underwriting an Office Deal (25:36) - How do you think about mitigating the risk of TI (Tenant Improvement) exposure? (26:46) - Are the capital markets in office starting to open up? (27:24) - Is there any tech or software that’s emerging in office? (27:56) - Can you define Creative Office Building from your point of view? (28:14) - Are the buildings coming with this 'creative' look or are you making a lot of those changes? (29:01) - Why is multi-family an appealing asset class to you? (31:14) - How did your idea for The System come together? How did you go about putting it in motion? (33:36) -  What do the two structures look like if it's an IRR hurdle vs. a Multiple hurdle? Why is Multiple better? (36:24) - Can you summarize your view in your course on how you think someone can turn $50,000 into $1 Million?  (43:06) - How did you go about developing your table of contents for the course? (44:06) - What was the thesis for the course? (45:08) - Have there been any cool testimonials or outcomes from those who have bought your course? (45:40) - Are most of the people buying your course brand new to real estate or is it a seasoned person looking to get more educated? (46:20) - Changing the Future of Education (49:34) - How did you find your mentor? How would you advise listeners on finding someone who can change their life through mentorship? Questions from Twitter: (54:06) - Mindset & Callicrates www.Twitter.com/callicrates_  (55:39) - Do the people you work with know that you’re The Real Estate God? (56:11) - Is there something that’s keeping you from starting your own firm? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

This episode features the audio version of Fort Capital's 2020 Annual Letter detailing the decisions we made and the processes we followed throughout an unprecedented year. To read the full-text version, click here.   Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (00:21) - A Year for the Record Books (02:11) - Remaining Focused in 2020 Jim Collin’s - Good to Great (02:47) - Fort Capital’s Flywheel (04:15) - C.O.R. Episode #65 on COR or read about it here. (05:03) - A Focus on Class B Industrial (05:47) - Why We are Focused on Buying and Operating Class B Industrial (08:56) - Strategies for Creating Value Across Our Investments Click here to sign up for our Broker Deal Incentive Program (10:40) - Fort Capital’s Track Record (11:36) - Investors If you’re interested in investing with us or would like to see our more detailed track record, please reach out to [email protected] or fill out the ‘I want to invest with Fort Capital’ interest form here. (12:25) - FCP Management For Property Management inquiries, please contact Steve Bailey at [email protected] (14:08) - A Technology-First Mindset (15:11) - What FOS Does for Our Company (16:11) - Advantages of FOS (17:30) - 2021 Outlook Episode #91 with Spencer Levy of CBRE (20:04) - A Shameless Ask If you know anyone that might have an industrial property to sell, we’d love to meet them. Please get in touch with us here. (20:50) - Get in Touch If you know of someone who would like to invest in industrial real estate across Texas, we’d love to connect with them. They can email [email protected] or fill out the ‘I want to invest with Fort’ interest form here. Interested in joining our team? Fill out our two-question survey and submit your resume here. To learn more about our team, check out our portfolio, or read more about how we think. Connect with us on Social Media to stay in the loop on what we’re up to: Follow Chris on Twitter Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn Subscribe to The FORT Podcast Subscribe to our Quarterly Newsletter

Fort Capital COO, Jason Baxter, returns to discuss Fort Capital's 2020 'Year in Review'. On this episode, Chris and Jason discuss the processes implemented in 2019 that helped our team through the pandemic in 2020, starting a property management company, doubling down on industrial, key improvements made to the team, the importance of technology & AI for your business, and much more. Click here to read Fort Capital's 2020 Annual Letter. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (00:52) - What are the things we did as a company as it relates to COVID? What did we do in 2019 that positioned us for success? (04:45) - The Flywheel at Fort Capital Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins (10:13) - The First 2 Months of 2020 and Getting Into Property Management Fort Capital 2018 Year in Review Fort Capital 2019 Year in Review (14:22) - Why We Selected Yardi (16:17) - Onboarding our Properties Pre-COVID and During COVID (16:57) - Doubling Down on Industrial (20:39) - COR Improvements in 2020 [Cutting Costs & Managing Data] (25:33) - Working With the Banks FORT Episode #59 with James Hill (On Banking) (29:02) - What are some key things we did to improve the company on a department level? (34:05) - Improving Investor Reporting (36:38) - The Importance of Technology to Make Your Business Better (41:01) - Some of the Tools We’ve Built and How We’re Thinking About Acquisitions in 2021 (45:05) - The Predictability Score (54:08) - Fort Capital’s Acquisition Consultant Program & Broker Incentive Program (58:27) - Final Stats for 2020 (Closing, Raising, Investors) and Goals for 2021 (1:00:58) - Our Shameless Ask & What Fort Capital is Looking For (1:01:40) - Final Thoughts and Goals Looking at 2021 The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Jonathan Wasserstrum is CEO and Co-Founder of SquareFoot, a personal commercial real estate assistant. Prior to business school, Wasserstrum worked in the International Capital Group at Jones Lang LaSalle where he advised foreign and domestic clients on more than $3 billion worth of transactions globally. On this episode, Chris and Jonathan discuss his experience starting his career in capital markets during the financial crash, starting SquareFoot in his parents' attic and the New York office environment through the pandemic. They also discuss the process of raising capital, operating a rolling fund, and the world of Angel Investing. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (02:30) - Jonathan’s Story  (03:39) - What did the ’07-’08 crisis look like for you as you started your career in real estate? (04:31) - What was your specialty when you worked in capital markets? (06:05) - Do you remember any moments during the crash where it hit you how bad it was going to be? (07:14) - What’s the fulcrum piece of the capital stack? (09:47) - What was the journey like from business school to launching SquareFoot? (11:25) - Did you have a co-founder from the jump? (12:31) - Was the domain name available when you started SquareFoot? (13:08) - How did you go about purchasing the domain? (13:43) - What is SquareFoot? How are you all doing things differently? (16:12) - What’s a management agreement? (20:04) - Do you have a target customer? (21:00) - Is this target market trying to lease within a certain amount of time? (21:56) - What markets are you located in? (23:10) - What’s the office environment like in New York City right now? (25:46) - Are you seeing data of new folks moving to New York or is it an internal movement? (26:39) - What was it like raising capital? How was your experience working with VCs? (30:46) - How many VCs are there in the country that would be interested in something like SquareFoot? (31:28) - What are your thoughts on the office in the future? How will it be different and how will it be the same? (33:36) - Is there a world for the Airbnb home-office? (34:40) - The WFH vs. Office Debate (36:18) - How do you find new customers? (37:20) - What’s the ultimate goal for SquareFoot? (37:49) - Where are the brokers that you hire coming from? (39:55) - What technology do you provide your brokers with to give them a leg up? (41:32) - What was your experience buying PivotDesk? (43:14) - Jonathan’s Night Hobby as an Investor on AngelList (43:45) - How does a rolling fund work? (45:52) - Are you still doing syndicates? (46:58) - How many investments have you made? (47:45) - What’s considered a good performing fund? (49:10) - Do you have a childhood experience that’s shaped who you are today? (51:04) - What’s a book that’s had an impact on you? Danny Meyer - Setting the Table Meditations - Marcus Aurelius  (52:13) - If you had a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? (52:35) - Contact Jonathan: SquareFoot.com PivotDesk.com Jonathan on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-wasserstrum-8a77533/ Jonathan on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/JMwass Link to Jonathan's Rolling Fund: www.angel.co/v/back/jonathan-wasserstrum The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Chris Weekley is the Executive Vice President at David Weekley Homes, one of the largest privately-held home building firms in the country. On this episode, they discuss the culture at DWH, Weekley's different product types in home building, the challenges and opportunities in home building, markets across the country, what 2020 presented for home builders, and what 2021 looks like. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Connect with Chris Weekley: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-weekley-892960/ (02:13) - Chris’ Story Acton School of Business | MBA (06:41) - Growing up, was your father’s work/family separation intentional in light of running a family business? (07:36) - How is 'The Life of Meaning Class' at Acton structured? How do they get the answer out of you? (10:05) - Where did you go after you got your MBA? (12:58) - How does David Weekley Homes's approach to team culture allow it to be able to retain talent for so long? (17:15) - What is David Weekley University and how did it come about? (19:43) - What’s the application process to get into DWU? (20:34) - How many markets are you in? How do you think about moving into new markets? (23:19) - Where are the hottest markets in the country right now? (24:52) - What are the 'Encore and Imagination' projects within David Weekley Homes? (26:36) - Do you focus more on central or suburban living for 'Imagination'? (28:33) - For the active adult communities you develop, do they have to be empty nesters or are they able to have kids with them? (29:31) - What are things that the 55+ age people want in a house & community? (31:17) - Are you anticipating a trend of home-offices being built in light of COVID? (32:44) - Are the millennials buying later in life? Are they requiring different things in their builds? (34:44) - How do you think about designing communities and commuting as Uber and self-driving cars continue to become more popular? (37:20) - How do you think about the growing asset class of single-family rental? (40:55) - What are the specific differences between the single-family rentals and what you normally build? (42:22) - How do you raise money to build all these homes if you aren’t public? (44:04) - How do you think about the year following a sale with home builders having to eat a lot of costs after the fact with different warranties or finishes that arise? (47:27) - How are you thinking about the high cost of lumber? Are you hedging your bet on that? (49:50) - What are the biggest challenges that you think about on a day-to-day basis? (51:53) - Is the USA under-built or over-built? (53:01) - Is there any technology on the horizon that will have a dramatic impact on the speed of building or cost of homes? (55:01) - Is there any silver bullet to combat the increased difficulty of working with cities? (57:23) - Do you have a childhood experience that has changed the direction of your life? Boy Scouts Outward Bound Amigos De Las Americas (58:57) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (1:00:16) - Are there any books that have had an impact on you? Clive Cussler - The Dirk Pitt Adventures Grit - Angela Duckworth Shoe Dog - Phil Knight Adam Grant books The Dichotomy of Leadership - Jocko Willink (1:01:37) - Chris’ Book Club w/ His Management Team The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Tommy McGuire is the President of Echo Environmental, which specializes in electronic recycling, IT asset management, and scrap metal purchasing. Echo Environmental has raised the bar and redefined what it means to be an end-of-life recycler.  On this episode, Chris and Tommy discuss the world of scrap and how Echo has been able to recycle hundreds of thousands of pounds of technology per day to be used again in the American supply chain. They'll talk about what actually happens when these products end up in landfills, the importance of taking initiative when bringing new ideas to leadership, Tommy's meteoric rise at Echo, and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ (02:25) - Introduction & Tommy’s Story (04:02) - Tommy’s Experience Working in Insurance & Being a Natural Salesman (05:47) - What did the world of scrap look like in 2012 and what was your role? (07:31) - Where does scrap come from? How do you define it? (08:54) - How much scrap is created in America each year? (10:30) - Who are your typical customers? (11:05) - What do you do when all of this material arrives at your facility? (13:15) - Are you usually getting the same amount of material out of each charter box? (14:15) - What happens to the materials once you’re done processing it all? (15:03) - Is copper pulled from a circuit board still as useful as the first time it was used? (16:31) - What was the process of growth like going from 50-pound sales in 2012 to 100K+ pounds per day now? (18:04) - Are there any other business components besides Echo and ITAD? (19:08) - Do you need licenses to do all of this or could I just start this in my garage? Watch: 60 Minutes Episode of Town in China With Mountains of Old Electronics (23:20) - What actually happens when these products end up in landfills? How does it affect the Earth? (26:29) - How would an individual dispose of these electronics? (28:01) - Is contaminating the groundwater the biggest risk from all of this? (30:06) - Thoughts on ESG (33:19) - Is there any innovation going on that's working against you in technology? (35:32) - Are hard drives ever really wiped? (38:06) - Is there a business to be created that offers a ‘seal of approval’ that something is truly wiped? (42:39) - Is it really cleared in consumer products when an individual does a factory reset? (43:01) - What about smashing a phone? Can that data be retrieved? (44:19) - Has COVID helped your business? (47:10) - How have you managed to make such a progression in your career in going from salesman to President? What’s your playbook? (55:10) - Innovating by Presenting Ideas & Taking Initiative (57:58) - Re-Using Company Products to Make Really Cool Things (1:01:48) - Why did you go to business school? Was it a value-add?  Read: Reed Hastings - Your Company Is Not a Family (1:08:43) - Is there a childhood experience that formed who you are today? (1:10:12) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:11:27) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:12:45) - If you had a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? Learn more about Echo Environmental: www.echoenvironmental.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Abraham Shafi is the Co-Founder and CEO of www.IRL.com, one of the fastest growing social networking apps in the world.  IRL was founded along with Henry Khachatryan and PayPal’s first board member Scott Banister. "IRL: Do More Together" has raised a total of $11 million in funding, with five investors backing up the company. The company's goal is to provide a place to discover events and allow users to do those things with other people. On this episode, Chris and Abraham discuss his rise in the tech world after dropping out of college, his previous venture being acquired by Dice, organic growth best practices, working with venture capitalists, how COVID has impacted IRL, and much more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:19) - Abe’s Story (08:38) - When did you formulate the plan for IRL and take the leap? (12:21) - Did you raise VC for IRL? Are you a technical or non-technical founder? (14:18) - What impact did your co-founder Scott have on the company? (17:04) - Are there best practices that come to mind when talking about organic growth? (19:41) - What is IRL? How would you describe it to someone about to download the app? (21:44) - How do you publish events on the platform? (25:05) - How would this be different from something like Twitch? (26:03) - Is there anything that stands out about how people have used the product differently than you imagined? (27:37) - How has COVID impacted you & IRL either positively or negatively? (30:40) - Is there data showing pent-up demand for people to get back into the world? (32:28) - How does your college ambassador program work? Why did you implement it? (36:39) - Is there a unique way someone has used the platform during COVID that was really inspiring? (37:37) - What was your experience raising a series-B during 2020 given the unique challenges of the year? (38:42) - What makes a great Venture Capitalist? (40:59) - How is leadership considered when different VC’s lead different rounds of funding?  (43:00) - What would you tell first-time founders as they deliberate who to approach for raising funds? (44:40) - What is your opinion on the state of social media? How do you think we can get back to it being a positive thing? (52:07) - Do you have a childhood experience that’s shaped who you are today? (57:26) - Do you have a morning routine? (58:16) - Are some of San Francisco’s brightest days ahead? (1:00:51) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (1:03:16) - What's the best book you’ve ever read? The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh (1:06:54) - If you had a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? (1:09:12) - How can people find you? www.IRL.com www.Twitter.com/Abrashafi The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On today's episode, Chris is joined by Jason Baxter, President and COO of Fort Capital to discuss the ways in which they think about the process around assembling and entitling land. They break down the due diligence work needed, why you need to know the end-user, what it's like entering under contract, and the importance of getting people on your side through zoning.  We’re planning on doing more episodes like these in 2021. If you have any questions on how we operate at Fort Capital, email us at [email protected] and we may just make an episode dedicated to it! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (01:59) - What do Entitlements mean? (02:44) - What is the due diligence process we do before buying a property we want to entitle? (04:30) - Which city official do you try to set a meeting with to learn the future plan for an area? (06:10) - Easements in Due Diligence (08:17) - Environmental Issues VCP- Voluntary Clean-Up Process (12:18) - Determining Your Price to Pay and Value (15:37) - Knowing Your End-User (16:58) - Making an Offer that Can Close Quickly and Making Plans to Approach Sellers (27:07) - Moving Quickly to Avoid the Word Getting Out to Other Real Estate Investors (30:14) - Be Willing to Put in the Effort (32:13) - Factors like NextDoor and Your City’s Vision (35:26) - What We Do Once We’ve Bought a Property and What it's Like to Enter into a Contract (38:22) - What do future developers need to be able to close? What does a typical contract look like so expectations are met by both parties? (42:57) - Getting Plans Ready for a Permit & Zoning (45:05) - Getting People on Your Side When Going Through the Zoning Process (52:48) - Wrap Up The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On today's episode, Chris is joined by Corey Price, Director of Asset Management, and Steve Bailey, Director of Property Management & Construction for Fort Capital. They'll discuss how they think about due diligence, onboarding, and execution in the first year of purchasing an asset. They also discuss their roles, the nuances of their day-to-day operations, some of the mistakes they've made, and how they’ve improved.  We’re planning on doing more of these episodes in 2021. If you have any questions on how we operate at Fort Capital, email us at [email protected] and we may just make an episode dedicated to it! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (01:21) - A High-Level Overview of Steve’s Role in Property Management in Construction (02:01) - Corey’s Role in Asset Management (03:43) - What happens in each of your worlds from “we’re buying this asset” to the day it actually closes in a multi-tenant industrial deal? (05:07) - How do we continuously keep leveling up and identify red flags as we gain more data about the asset? (06:10) - When we underwrite and put together a Cap-ex plan, how do you think about the projected Cap-ex and build a budget? (07:41) - Are there other things you do during due diligence that fall under the asset management responsibility? (08:46) - How do asset management and property management work together during the due diligence phase? (10:13) - How are things different after bringing property management in-house? What are the advantages of doing so? (12:08) - What are we doing on each side in terms of our due-diligence checklist? (14:06) - Why is it so critical to review each lease individually? (16:51) - Are we interviewing every single tenant with each property? (17:32) - What happens on our team during onboarding now that we own the asset? (19:03) - Do you have any experiences where tenants are much happier after Fort Capital has taken over as property managers? (20:41) - What does day 1 look like for asset management after closing on a property? (22:00) - How do you determine who will be leasing our assets? (23:16) - What is our process for how we continue the relationship with leasing brokers once we acquire an asset? (24:40) - How does information about tenants that won’t re-up their lease flow from leasing broker to asset & property management? (28:20) - Is having knowledge 90 days out before a tenant is leaving a requirement in the lease? (29:53) - Why are we able to lease things that prior owners weren’t able to? (31:33) - Are our TI costs pretty consistent across our portfolio? (33:25) - Is anyone ever putting money into warehouse spaces beyond clean up or is it mostly allocated to office? (34:11) - What is the re-forecasting process like? Why is it valuable? (36:40) - Is it cost-prohibitive for small tenants in an environment where we see 10-15% rent jumps? (38:17) - How do you attempt to stabilize an asset from a tenant perspective? (39:53) - How do you think about creating a budget for the year after purchasing? (41:02) - How valuable is the massive amount of data available to us since bringing these operations in-house? (54:12) - Merrick Park - An Example of ‘How the Sausage is Made’ Between the Property & Asset Management Teams (56:30) - How would this asset process have gone with a third party group? (58:36) - Do we tell our tenants during DD about our plans for the building or do we wait until we close? (59:24) - How do you think about the 9 months after the first 90 days are under our belt? Does anything change? (1:00:45) - What have you learned after 9 months of bringing property management in-house? (1:02:26) - What breakthroughs have we made in Asset Management? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Sam Sawyer is the Founder & CEO of Archetape, a full-service cloud brokerage for real estate agents. Before founding Archetape, Sam worked for the Y Combinator graduate and venture-backed start-up ZeroDown in Silicon Valley as their VP of Real Estate Operations.  On this episode, Chris and Sam discuss the issues facing real estate agents and how Archetape is working to transform their experiences. They also discuss Sam's vast experience in real estate and tech, trends in home buying, major players like OpenDoor & Zillow, the process of building a remote company during COVID. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:15) - Sam’s Story and Career (03:54) - What was the acquisition from Compass like? (06:05) - What was your experience like working for a PropTech company ZeroDown in Silicon Valley? (08:07) - What was it like going through Y Combinator? (09:26) - As the only one in the field, were you bringing back all of your experiences and data to share with the software teams to build out necessary widgets? (10:14) - At what point did you realize you needed to go and start your own deal? (11:44) - Was there a co-founder involved? (12:33) - Did you raise any funding? (13:21) - What is Archetape? What’s the spin on brokerage? (16:48) - What software are you building that would make an agent want to come work for your company? (22:03) - Technology Partnerships at Archetape (24:55) - How do you identify what partnerships are needed? How do you vet suitors? (26:53) - Is there any training involved for new agents? (30:47) - Do you use any software to gather Net Promoter Scores? (31:40) - How do you find new agents? (32:51) - Are you looking to recruit seasoned agents or newcomers? (35:35) - What advice would you give to folks looking to become agents? (37:38) - Building Smaller Teams Within Archetape (38:44) - When was the first transaction at Archetape? (39:16) - How are you ending the year as opposed to what you thought it would be like? What’s it like launching a company in the middle of a pandemic? (41:59) - Deeper Dive into the Compass Experience (44:05) - Why would agents be more likely to use the software that's used at Archetape if they generally aren’t open to changing their software habits? (45:49) - How are you thinking about growth? (48:32) - How are you partnering with lenders? (50:25) - How do you use a startup mindset without getting distracted from your core product? (53:12) - What are some trends that you’re seeing in home-buying? (55:33) - What are the top reasons someone buys a home besides location & affordability? (56:46) - What is iBuying? (58:24) - What do OpenDoor and Zillow do when they buy a home? (1:00:10) - Is OpenDoor a direct competitor to you? (1:01:03) - Is the open house experience going to die? (1:01:56) - Did you know that you’d be building your company on the back of platforms like Slack? (1:05:07) - How do you build strong relationships with a fully remote company? (1:06:49) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:07:55) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Book - Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (1:10:01) - What’s a great book you’ve enjoyed? Built to Sell - John Warrilow Elon Musk Biography (1:12:26) - How can people find you and Archetape? Medium Article - Gatekeeper to Superhero archetape.com Email: [email protected] Subscribe to Sam's Newsletter here Sam's Twitter The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Michael Girdley (www.Twitter.com/Girdley) is a serial entrepreneur and investor based in San Antonio. He is the chairman and co-founder of Dura Software, owner of Codeup, Toro Coffee, Alamo Fireworks, and the tech-venture fund Geekdom.  On this episode, Chris and Michael discuss Michael's experience moving to San Francisco during the late '90s and what it was like in the 'tech bubble', and then leaving the tech world to take over his father's firework business where technology was almost non-existent. Michael discusses the process of helping found and scale his various companies and implementing executive teams so he can step away from their day to day operations.  They also dive into the workings of Michael's various companies, the pitch for the future of San Antonio, and much more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:30) - Michael’s Background and What Led Him to Today (04:00) - What is cryptography? (04:35) - How did you get into your passion for computer technology? (06:11) - When did you move out to the Bay Area? (06:30) - What was Silicon Valley before the Dotcom bust? What was it like going through that bust? (08:12) - Did people see the crash coming or did it come out of nowhere? (09:55) - Was revenue actually growing when the stock price jumped or was it all part of just the bubble? (11:28) - Were most of these businesses VC-backed before they went public? (12:02) - What was the culture shift like going from Silicon Valley to running a family firework business? (13:57) - What was the transition like when taking the business over from your father? (16:03) - Did you already have an executive team in place or was that a process to implement before you transitioned out? (16:46) - What was the process like of finding a CEO? (17:43) - How do you set up a compensation system to incentivize those who aren’t the owners in a family business? (19:28) - How does the current CEO communicate business strategy with you? (20:43) - What are you accountable for as a semi-active owner? (29:52) - How do you find the right people to bring into the business? (31:11) - What were your roles in getting the business off the ground if you weren’t going to be involved in the day-to-day? (34:08) - Is this a business that will require funding to scale quickly or do you want to go the self-funded route? (35:08) - What is Codeup? (36:24) - How do you define ‘not getting a job’ in terms of Codeup’s policy to refund the student? (38:23) - What’s the process of education in Codeup? (39:23) - How long is the process and how much does it cost? (40:02) - Is it a full-time job or can students work while they’re in the courses? (40:36) - Is there always going to be a need for code in a world where no-code is a growing movement? (41:53) - What is Dura Software? (43:44) - Is this similar to a Berkshire model? (44:50) - What’s the difference between vertical and horizontal market software? (46:15) - Are you designing the third phase of your career where you can keep adding businesses or is there a limit? (47:02) - What does Culture Index mean to you? How has it impacted your career? (49:14) - Do you require the companies you buy to adopt Culture Index? (52:05) - What’s your 2-minute pitch for the city of San Antonio? (53:45) - How has the growth of Austin impacted San Antonio? (54:59) - Do you have a morning routine? (55:43) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (56:38) - If you owned a billboard and could put anything on it, what would it be? (59:24) - How can people get in touch with you? Follow Michael on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Girdley Learn more about Michael Girdley here www.Girdley.com The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Today's guest is Milo Ramirez, the Founder & Owner of Salsa Limon, a quick service Taqueria serving some of the best Mexican food in Texas. Milo's Oaxacan roots and upbringing of farm-to-table Hispanic cuisine led him to found Salsa Limon after an unbelievably successful career in media and advertising where his clientele included McDonald's and GM.  In this episode, Milo tells the story of how his unique experience inspired Salsa Limon, his career before becoming a restauranteur, the immense amount of work that goes into creating a successful brand, finding your target customer, and more. Milo and Chris will also touch on how COVID has affected the service industry, the government response, and the downside of food delivery apps. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:30) - Milo’s Story and What Led to Salsa Limon (24:22) - How much time passed between meeting with Andrew Segal to opening the first Salsa Limon? (26:38) - What are the things you did right when planning a restaurant? What were some of your early mistakes? (29:29) - What makes a great restaurant location? (32:27) - How can business owners become really fine-tuned into who their target customer is? (36:20) - The ‘Pizza’ Pie Chart Concept of Food Margins (40:22) - The 4 Step Process for Salsa Employees (43:39) - What makes the best restaurant operators so great? (4-4-9) (50:33) - Is there truth to the idea that beverages are where you make all your money? (51:46) - How do you keep your recipes proprietary? (52:49) - What has it been like owning 7 restaurants during a pandemic? What did you do right? (55:53) - Do you think the government has left the service industry out to dry in all of this? (1:00:21) - Is there any kind of stimulus that’s just for the service industry? (1:01:35) - Do the food delivery apps help or hurt you? (1:03:47) - What’s your favorite restaurant in the US? (1:05:01) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (1:05:21) - If you had a billboard on a major highway that you could put anything on, what would it say? (1:07:03) - How can people reach you? Visit Salsa Limon: www.salsalimon.com Connect with Milo on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/milo17ramirez  The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Fort Capital CEO Chris Powers discusses the ins and outs of finding a job in the real estate industry for those graduating college. He discusses the top 3 things people should know when looking for a job, the importance of networking, what to look for in companies when you start to narrow your search, preparing for the interview, big vs. small company experiences, and much more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (01:56) - Disclaimer to College Students (02:29) - The 3 Things College Graduates Should Know When Looking for a Job (03:59) - #1 Picking the Right Asset Class to Work In (05:24) - #2 Pick a Market You Want to Be In (06:45) - #3 Picking a Line of Work (14:58) - Proptech (18:01) - Networking and Honing in on Places to Work (21:00) - Reaching Out to Folks You May Want to Work With/For (25:32) - Things to Think About When Analyzing Potential Companies You May Work For (28:41) - Find Out How a Company is Using Technology (31:28) - What are some red flags in employers? (33:51) - Getting a Masters Degree vs. Work Experience (36:11) - Things to Be Prepared for in an Interview Situation (37:07) - Things that Catch our Eye for New Hires Coming Out of College (42:26) - Big Company vs. small company: Which do you join? (51:49) - What is an entry-level position that gives you the most optionality as you move through your career? (1:02:36) - Other Things to Think About (1:02:51) - Internships for Current Students, Argus Course, Utilizing Free Online Resources, Getting a Real Estate License (1:04:14) - Sitting in on City Hall Developer Meetings and Zoning Commissions (1:04:43) - Find Physical Places that are Interesting to You (1:08:00) - Wrap Up Did this help you find a job, or maybe you have a question that wasn’t answered? Email Chris at [email protected] The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Cody Campbell is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Double Eagle Energy Holdings III LLC, a partnership formed with Apollo Global Management and co-founder of Double Eagle Development. Campbell began his business career as a student at Texas Tech University, where he and John Sellers founded a successful commercial real estate development firm. He graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s in finance and economics and a master’s in finance. After graduation, he played offensive guard for the Indianapolis Colts. On this episode, Chris and Cody discuss the early days of building Double Eagle, the state of oil & gas and its opportunities and challenges ahead, what things might look like under a Biden administration, how they were able to partner with Apollo, and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:15) - Cody’s Background and Business Career to Date (11:12) - What’s an option of a lease? (13:45) - How long would you anticipate you’d have to sit on a lease before it sells? (15:57) - When did you formalize that Double Eagle would be your full-time job? (18:39) - When did you partner with Apollo? How did that relationship start? (23:31) - What was it like working with Aubrey McClendon? (25:45) - Was Double Eagle #2 similar to Double Eagle #1? (28:00) - How long did Double Eagle #2 take from start to finish? (28:50) - When were you able to get away from the scrutiny of being able to purchase deals? (29:43) - Why did you choose the Midland over the Delaware? Are there major differences between them? (31:09) - How many transactions does it take to put together 70,000 acres in the Midland? (31:55) - When you’re buying thousands of leases, how often are you committing to a lease that you know still needs some work? (33:47) - What’s the minimum amount of acreage needed to be able to drill? (35:01) - You’ve sold Double Eagle #2, so what does Double Eagle #3 look like? (37:32) - With today’s technology, how many drilling sites could you have? How much oil can you get from these 96,000 acres? (39:06) - Do you hedge your oil? Are you able to decide that or does Apollo choose? (39:42) - Do you put the hedge in before you drill a well or during? (40:29) - How big is your team now? (40:48) - How do you see where we are today vs. previous downturns? What's different this time? (41:47) - What gives people a reason to think that the industry wouldn’t exist in the future? (43:35) - What does ESG mean? (50:40) - Is there any light at the end of the tunnel to get us past this? (52:50) - Is it a good thing for oil prices to go back up? (55:25) - Do you have any comments on our relationship with other oil-producing countries? (56:03) - What happens if we don’t keep drilling? (57:36) - Have we found all the energy in the world? (58:06) - Is there any technology on the horizon to get more out of the ground? (58:51) - What are your thoughts on the new presidential administration's impact on the industry? (1:00:21) - How long is a drilling permit good for? (1:01:22) - Why is the Permian Basin the most prolific in the country? (1:02:02) - How are things valued deal to deal? (1:02:46) - What was it like to host POTUS at one of your wells? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Spencer Levy is Chairman of Americas Research and Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE. He plays an integral role in the development and implementation of the global research strategy and business plan. On this episode, Spencer and Chris discuss what COVID has done across multiple asset classes and markets and why he's bullish on cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They also talk office and retail, Spencer's 2021 predictions, interest rate environments, technologies that are coming in the near future that will massively impact real estate, and more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:28) - Spencer’s Background and Business Career (03:44) - How does research funnel up at CBRE? (05:33) - Were you seeing COVID and its implications before the rest of the USA? Did something, in particular, stand out to you? (07:21) - As it stands today, what pops out at you in your research that we should be thinking about in the US in terms of opportunities and challenges? (09:22) - COVID Vaccines and Their Effect on Short Term Thinking (10:23) - Is there an indicator that people are heading back to the office? (13:32) - What stands out to you in retail? (16:01) - Is there any hope for the regional mall? (17:52) - Are you expecting to see a distressed market or will we skip it entirely? (20:22) - What does your research tell you about the supposed exodus of major cities like LA, NYC, and SF? (22:14) - Does any of this exodus have to do with the extremism of governmental response to COVID? (24:52) - What are some overlooked markets across the US that will be robust cities in the near future? (27:39) - Is there a technology we will see over the next decade that will be transformational? (29:27) - What are the impacts of self-driving cars when it comes to real estate values? (31:04) - How do they affect parking garages in downtown areas? (32:45) - What are some of the major impacts the new white house administration will have on CRE? (34:48) - Are we going to be in a low rate environment for quite a while? (36:42) - What are some data points to look at when scoping the viability of a new market? (40:00) - Do you have any comments on data centers and their demand? (42:48) - What does responsive real estate mean? (44:30) - What are your predictions for 2021? (45:33) - Do you have a morning routine? (46:38) - What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (47:48) - Is there a book that has had a significant impact on you? (49:08) - Places to Learn More About CBRE CBRE Website The Weekly Take Podcast Interested in investing with Fort Capital? Contact us here. The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Evan Kasper, Founder/CEO of ELK Development, is an established leader in the furnished rental sector. Before starting ELK Development, Evan was the co-founder of the Medici Group, the largest co-living company globally with thousands of units under management. In 2016, he launched Medici Group’s US division and grew it to a $100MM operating business.  On this episode, Chris and Evan dive into the world of co-living real estate. Evan describes the three pillars of co-living: affordability, flexibility, and convenience. Evan also touches on how co-living has been affected by the pandemic, and then Evan breaks down the pros and cons of the three structural practices in this space: master leasing, management partnerships & owner-operators. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (01:18) - Evan’s Background (03:47) - Evan’s First Experience in Co-Living Spaces Quarters.com (06:33) - How did you cut a billion dollars of the GSA from the government? Was it easy? (08:19) - How long were you at Medici and when did you leave to start ELK? (09:48) - At Medici, would you master lease a developed building, or would you go into apartments and convert them into co-living spaces? (10:41) - How many buildings were empty and simply ready to be occupied? (12:00) - In general, how do you define co-living? How does that relate to what you’re doing at ELK? (15:04) - Three Pillars of Co-Living: Affordability, Flexibility, Convenience (17:03) - How big is a micro-unit or co-living unit? (18:14) - What are the advantages of owning this kind of real estate as an operator? How would each party make money if they’re separate (owners and operators)? (20:38) - As the operator/owner, are you signing a master lease to yourself to provide this flexibility or is it done lease by lease?  (20:57) - Are you designing these units to be able to furnish them with the demand in each lease? (21:56) - The Difference Between Micro-Units and Co-Living Spaces (22:56) - What's the percentage of people requesting furnished vs not furnished? Has that changed at all through COVID? (24:08) - Are you renting the furniture provided in units or purchasing it? (24:18) - What amenities do you see in co-living that you don’t see in a traditional multifamily community? (27:08) - Is the sharing economy still an amenity in 2020? (29:01) - How are these assets financed? How did the lenders look at it? (32:07) - Why would you be getting less in rent if you’re converting these into bigger units? (54:50) - How do you think about the potential for discrimination lawsuits or fair housing issues as it relates to curating a unit mix? (56:42) - Is there any personality profiling to help see who would be good fits together? (Similar to dorm room housing in college) (57:42) - What are your thoughts on the DC co-living project that doesn’t have locks on bedroom doors to create more trust? (58:37) - What questions should an owner or developer be asking when deciding between a master lease or management agreement? How do you detect their financial strength? (1:00:35) - Are there best practices for converting existing units into co-living? (1:02:15) - Are there any zoning challenges that come up within these conversions? (1:03:32) - Why did you choose the LA market? The Weekly Take Podcast with Spencer levy (1:07:39) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (1:08:24) - Is there a book you would recommend? Principals: Ray Dalio (1:08:54) - If you owned a billboard, what would you put on it? (1:09:56) - How to Contact Evan Evan on LinkedIn Website Email: [email protected] The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On today's episode of The FORT, Chris is joined by Trent and Tyler Leon, Co-Founders of Tilden Capital, which was formed to acquire mineral & royalty assets across the United States. Since its inception, they have acquired 160,000 net royalty acres. Tyler and Trent are also former professional golfers and have been as close as brothers with Chris for nearly a decade. Today they'll discuss their journey into the mineral business, evaluating the worth of minerals, vertical and horizontal drilling, leasing vs. buying minerals, the oil and gas industry in light of the election and COVID, and much more! Enjoy.    Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (02:45) - Tyler and Trent’s Story (06:13) - Were oil and gas always part of your life? (07:06) - Was there a moment that The Eagleford came up on your radar as something that would be important? (09:19) - Did you start in the Permian Basin? (10:14) - What triggered you to be in the Delaware Basin? (12:32) - Why was no one else seeing what you were seeing? (13:41) - How do you evaluate what a mineral is worth? (14:32) - How do you find out if and when something will be drilled? (15:56) - Why doesn't it matter to the mineral owner how much it costs to drill? (16:49) - Why can you drill so much more in some areas than others? (17:48) - Do you shoot for things that produce more oil or more gas? (19:56) - What’s the differences between the Permian and Delaware basin? Why do people prefer one over the other? (21:00) - What are the main reasons people will sell their minerals? (24:20) - Do you think Vertical Drilling will make a comeback? (25:20) - Leasing vs. Buying Minerals (27:00) - Three Ways to Make Money in Minerals (28:17) - What happens legally when a person passes away without a plan to transfer ownership of minerals? (29:09) - What’s the difference in buying between Texas and New Mexico? (31:00) - What does the change in The White House mean for the industry? (33:51) - Is there a rush of operators getting a permit to beat the inauguration? (34:13) - How did your partnership with EnCap impact your career? (35:48) - What have you learned since working with one of the best oil and gas PE firms in the world? (37:16) - How has your strategy evolved since 2015? (38:06) - What amount of oil are you getting when you drill? (39:18) - If you’re going to sell, is it better before the first well is drilled or after a year when 80% of the oil is taken out? (41:16) - If you get someone to sell, how do you get the deal to closing? (43:54) - How do you confirm you get every drop of oil that you deserve? (46:58) - What do you think the industry for mineral owners will be going forward beyond ‘buy it, flip it’? (48:33) - Is it fair to say Royalty Trusts have not out-performed in the public markets? (49:43) - What gets capital flowing back into the industry again? (52:09) - Is Wall Street out of touch with how this industry impacts the world? (52:40) - Does it bode well for oil prices that there's a hampering of drilling? (53:29) - What was the peak rig count vs. today? (54:26) - What’s one of the biggest misnomers about the industry? (57:11) - What does ESG mean and why is it a big thing to talk about? (59:01) - Is there a new revolution coming to get more oil out of the ground? (1:00:51) - How has golf impacted your career? (1:03:08) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Chris Jackson serves as President for Stream Realty. He oversees the company’s business units and is responsible for the growth and expansion of Stream’s businesses nationally. With twelve regional operating platforms nationwide, over 200,000,000 square feet of commercial buildings under leasing and/or management, and $2.9 billion in transaction volume annually, Stream is one of the fastest-growing commercial real estate firms in the country. On this episode, Chris and Chris discuss the Industrial Real Estate Market, the growth of Stream since Chris J. joined, Stream's process of expanding into new markets, market intelligence, and the explosive growth of data centers. Enjoy. Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com   (01:24) - Chris’ Story and Career (02:31) - What was it about Trammell Crow that created inspiration for the next generation of businesses? (03:39) - What's the difference between the industrial market in the 90’s vs. today?  (05:22) - Are you seeing these big bombers being built in the center city or a smaller product being developed? (6:23) - Is it safe to say the industrial market is better in a post-COVID world vs. in Jan and Feb? (07:37) - Where did you go after leaving Trammell Crow? (09:15) - Why do you think Robert Lynn always comes up in conversation as a fantastic Junior Program? (10:08) - What was your first day like at Stream? (11:36) - What has Stream grown to offer since you joined? (12:13) - What markets are you in today and what’s your job like now as President? (13:39) - Where is the hub located? (14:02) - How often do you open in a new market? (14:53) - How do you know it's time to get into a new market? (16:04) - Does each city have its own ownership or do they report back to Dallas? (17:20) - Do you hire from within to expand to keep culture aligned? (19:36) - What does Market Intelligence mean? (21:56) - How would you tell a recent grad to learn a market? (24:19) - What type of technology are you using to get the tons of information you have access to out to people that need it? (26:09) - Were you early to the game in developing Data Centers? How did you get into it? (27:36) - How big of a business is it now? (27:55) - Is it fair to say the anticipated demand for data centers is endless right now? (28:36) -  What makes a great ownership group? What do they all have in common? (29:41) - What do you think about the nationwide real estate industry? How do you manage all of the data you have? (31:47) - The Industrial Business for Stream (33:08) - What will happen to office from your perspective? (35:50) - Are you seeing leasing activity pick up at all or are is it all still on pause for the moment? (37:33) - Comments on Retail (40:19) - Is there any market in the US that people aren't aware could potentially boom? (41:32) - When you’re developing industrial across the country, is it easiest to accomplish in Texas? (42:27) - Development Fees for Markets with Long Lead Times (43:51) - Are you seeing any multi-level projects go up? (44:27) - Cold-Storage Development (46:45) - How big is your marketing team? When did it become apparent how important marketing was for Stream? (48:54) - How do you think about the consolidation of the industry? (51:30) - What did your world look like when COVID hit? (55:57) - Do you have a morning routine? (56:50) - What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (57:50) - If you owned a billboard, what would you put on it? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Sam Parr, Co-Founder and CEO of The Hustle, joins Chris for round 2 on The FORT. (Listen to Part 1 here) On this episode, Sam explains the process of hiring a new CEO to replace himself, what his role at The Hustle and Trends.co will be going forward, his exodus from San Francisco, the Austin real estate market, the impact of the Trends community and the future of media through the lens of the public's distrust of mainstream news. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (01:52) - Why did you replace yourself as CEO? (03:31) - How long between having this realization and actually pulling the trigger? (03:57) - How many people did you interview along the way? (04:39) - Starting vs. Scaling (05:13) - What is the CEO you’re hiring going to do differently than you? (06:20) - What are your growth expectations from a new CEO? (07:20) - In those 14 interviews, how many times did you talk to the person you ultimately hired? (07:41) - Was there a silver bullet that told you this was the one? (08:18) - Who on your team was involved in the process? (08:52) - How is the business structured now? (10:06) - Who reports to who? (10:56) - What would this person say their expectation is of you? (12:19) - When will this hire go public? (12:38) - Can you give any insight as to how you’re paying this person? (13:33) - How do you describe what Trends is? (15:12) - What’s your position within this community? (16:42) - How can people get the most value out of Trends? (18:16) - Is there anything that comes to mind that you didn’t expect to grow out of Trends? (19:38) - Are people pitching deals there or are they just meeting online and then making deals outside of it? (19:51) - The Importance of Facebook Groups & Communities (21:37) - Are you permanently out of SF? (22:18) - Would you consider yourself a remote company? (22:42) - Do you enjoy the new way things are structured? (23:25) - What’s your opinion on the future of SF? (26:10) - Austin & Real Estate (28:59) - Sam’s Spontaneity (30:30) - Sam's Wife (34:00) - The Newsletter Industry (37:20) - How expensive is it to acquire a customer today? (37:39) - Is there anything that keeps you up at night as to what could make the business fail? (39:02) - What do you think about the decline of trust in news media as it pertains to your operation? (47:17) -   Are we about to enter a new wave of media? (48:59) - Is it even possible to build a news station that only puts out good, positive news? Sam’s Twitter The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts  

Today Chris chats with Brandon Laughridge, President of North Terrace Property Management (NTPM) located in Kansas City. Brandon is accountable for doubling the business' units since acquiring the business in 2017. On this episode, he and Chris discuss Brandon's background working in SEO, starting a digital marketing firm, his process of acquiring NTPM, the explosive growth of Kansas City, and some property management horror stories. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:39) - Brandon’s Background (05:27) - Did you have any SEO experience walking into that first job? (06:00) - When you left in 2009, did you start your own company or move into another job? (08:03) - How did you come to the decision that it was right to walk away from the business at such a young age? (09:00) - What was Spread Effect? (10:25) - How long after you stepped away from the business did you decide to sell? (11:16) - What did you learn from that experience? (13:21) - Why did you decide to buy a property management company? (20:32) - How big was the business at the time you bought it? How did you value it when deciding what to pay? (22:32) - What was the first day like after you purchased the business and stepped in as the operator? (25:06) - What was it like surprising everyone as the true undercover boss? How were you able to smooth things over with folks who might've been resentful? (26:40) - Did the owner have an earn-out of any kind? (26:56) - Was the previous owner engaged for those last 9 months? How did that relationship pan out? (28:18) - What is the size of the business today? (28:25) - Why is managing a single-family home harder than managing multi-family units? (29:37) - Has it been organic growth or was there a strategy in place? (31:15) - Are most of your clients professional investors or would they be 'mom and pop' style? (32:02) - Do you take a long-term approach when buying? (34:30) - Is there any technology you’ve implemented that is making the business more profitable? (37:28) - Is there anything that COVID has presented that forced you to either temporarily or permanently shift? (40:38) - How do you think about the business for the next ten years? (42:34) - Do you have a property management horror story? (45:11) - Are you on the Kansas or Missouri side of KC? (45:54) - Why do people choose to live on one side or the other? (46:37) - Why is Kansas City experiencing the success that it has lately? (50:00) - Is there a main industry that is the draw to that city? (51:23) - Do you have a morning routine? (53:10) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (55:38) - Do you have a book you’d recommend? Book: King of Cash - Christopher Winans (56:33) - What's the best way to contact you?  Brandon's Twitter   

John joined Airshare as CFO in 2016 and became President and CEO in March 2018. He originally fine-tuned his consultative skills and financial acumen working in progressively higher roles at State Street, Accenture, and KPMG. On this episode, Chris and John discuss the industry of private aviation, misnomers about flying private, aviation throughout COVID, what the next ten years might look like, technology making aviation more affordable and safer, and John's career path. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:07) - John's Story (05:58) - What was your life like in the consulting role? (06:28) - Why do you have a passion for the organizational and operational side of business? (07:07) - What was the series of events that landed you in the CEO role? (07:51) - How would you describe AirShare? (10:07) - What are the advantages of a JetCard? (11:03) - What are some advantages to fractional ownership? (12:08) - What are the ongoing costs once you’ve bought a fraction of a plane? (14:50) - How did you choose the Phenom 100 & 300? (16:19) - Do pilot licenses allow you to fly multiple types of planes? (16:50) - How many jets do you have? (17:09) - Do plane owners that allow you to manage their aircraft let you lease it out to shareowners? (17:36) - If I owned 100% of a Phenom 300, what does it cost to maintain it per year? (18:18) - What are the most common maintenance issues aircraft owners will run into? (19:14) - How are you set up around the country with where you can land and store planes? (20:04) - How many customers do you have?  (20:57) - What do you tell someone not located in density that wants to be a customer? (21:19) - What’s the market like for a private pilot? What are their rates? (21:46) - Where are your pilots coming from? (22:34) - When is a good time for a business owner to consider private aviation? (26:33) - How long do you keep a plane in the fleet? (27:13) - Who’s the typical buyer on the way out? (28:05) - What’s your ownership structure at AirShare? (28:48) - How do you think about growth? (30:59) - Do you host customer events? (31:57) - Having Patrick Mahomes as a Client (32:49) - Can you charter something by the day for a larger group? (33:53) - What's the difference between AirShare and Warren Buffet’s NetJets? (36:04) - What were the first few months of COVID like for the private air industry? (38:02) - Is there a permanent shift of people flying private? (40:03) - Are there states that are harder to fly into than others right now? (40:33) - Is there anything you’re watching for economically that will give people hope in the coming months? (41:57) - Is a COVID vaccine the key to opening everything back up? (48:24) - What do you think the industry will look like in 10 years? (50:34) - What do your gas contracts look like? (51:00) - How much fuel do you buy per year? (51:24) - Are there any other risks you look out for besides a crash? (1:02:54) - Do you plan on being part of the consolidation of the industry? (1:05:18) - How does a Maintenance Contract work? (1:05:55) - Reading Habits (1:06:35) - If you could put anything up on a billboard, what would you say? Contact John at www.flyairshare.com

As CEO of Midway, Jonathan Brinsden guides the overall business strategy and operations which have led to the company’s creation of a $2B portfolio of core mixed-use assets. On this episode, Jonathan and Chris talk about Jonathan's journey up to joining Midway, they discuss the Houston market as it navigates the COVID crisis, where retail and hospitality will go in the future, and Jonathan's experience with ULI and the Midway Foundation. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:50) - Jonathan’s Background and Journey to Midway (06:54) - Can you describe how the Town & Country Village deal came about and what the last 15 years of working on that project have been like? (10:29) - What was the draw to this property back in 2004? (12:12) - When you bought it, did you have to force the tenants out or let their leases run dry? (14:00) - How do you arrive at a 'final plan’ with a deal that big?  (17:11) - Where do you stand today with Town & Country Village? (17:51) - How do you program the experiential factor of your properties? (20:55) - What makes an amenity have longevity? (22:34) - How is Houston holding up in a post-COVID world? (24:03) - Is Houston as dependent on oil and gas today as it was 20 years ago? (24:54) - Is it ultimately a good thing for developers that the city of Houston doesn’t have a lot of zoning Laws? (26:37) - What are you seeing in retail now and how has it progressed since March? (28:56) - The Hospitality Side of Retail (30:08) - Are tenants out in the market or is everything just dead? (31:18)  - Is there anything you’re seeing in lease proposals that you hadn’t seen before? (32:36) - Are Houston office tenants going back? Is there permanent damage to office usage with the realization of WFH? (38:09) - Is there anything in terms of new technology that will make things safer for the next few years? (39:55) - Will you be aggressively looking to acquire if the opportunity presents itself? (41:57) - What's the state of new development for retail and hospitality projects? (42:52) - Are your developments public/private or just private? (45:35) - In a public/private partnership, which side is the first to approach a project and present to the other side for consideration? (49:00) - Do you have any opinion on the rising property taxes in TX? (51:05) - What has ULI meant to you and why do you think it’s important? (53:41) - What’s the Midway Foundation? (57:48) - Do you have a morning routine? (59:43) - What's the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:02:25) - If you could put any message on a billboard, what would it be? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Chris sits down with Stanton Williams, Executive Advisor at Culture Index, a personality profiling system and process that allows leaders to determine where their staff is best suited within an organization as well as hiring the best possible people for a role. On this episode, Chris and Stanton break down every aspect of the Culture Index, Chris elaborates on how much this has helped him personally as well as the Fort Capital team, some experiences Stanton has had in helping organizations move from the 'Start' phase into the 'Scale' phase, and what kind of traits are among folks who are elected to high political office. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (04:19) - Stanton's Background (11:38) - What is the Culture Index? (13:20) - Who created the Culture Index? (16:44) - Breaking Down the 7 Traits Measured in the Culture Index (17:07) - Autonomy (18:26) - Sociability (19:59) - Pace (22:21) - Conformity (24:15) - Energy Units (24:54) - Logic (25:49) - Ingenuity (26:43) - The Culture Index Survey (28:04) - The Combinations of Traits and Patterns (28:37) - The 4 Types of People (28:51) - Visionaries (29:36) - Technical People (30:25) - Social People (31:15) - Organizational People (31:53) - Complementary People that Should Surround You and What Buckets Pair Up Well Together (33:22) - When you meet with a company for the first time and they hire you, what happens from there? (35:12) - What do you say if people say you’re full of shit? (37:30) - How often do you see people that have reverse polarity? (38:53) - Do you ever see patterns with someone being in the same role in multiple companies and yet they still fall under reverse polarity? (40:03) - Assuming a company is able to scale but stays small, are there common themes that serve as the reason they stay small? (42:06) - What category do inventors typically fall in? (43:44) - What do you tell the person who’s able to start the company but doesn't realize they can't scale it? (45:40)  - Do most small businesses even know what they want? (47:27) - The two types of CEOs: The Starter and The Scaler (49:31) - When does The Starter know that their time is up? (51:33) - The “C Job” (56:18) - The Cost of Turnover (57:26) - Do you have any Culture Index success stories? Book: The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Wilink (1:03:20) - The Personality Traits of a Politician (1:07:55) - Why don’t companies use this? (1:10:35) - Is there really no way for people to change who they are? (1:13:39) - What would you tell someone who says they want to change? (1:14:50) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:16:03) - What's the best advice you’ve ever been given? (1:16:29) - If you had a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say? (1:17:40) - What is the best way for people to contact you? Email Stanton: [email protected] The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Zach Aarons & Aaron Block are the Co-Founders of MetaProp VC, the most active early-stage real estate and PropTech investor globally with 125+ investments under their portfolio. On this episode, Chris talks with Aaron and Zach about their journey to becoming partners, the NYC venture capital world, the emergence of PropTech as an investable asset class, their processes for investing in companies, what early-stage founders do well when raising capital, and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:44) - Zach’s Background  (09:52) - Why do you say you weren’t capable of building and scaling a tech company? (13:21) - Aaron’s Background (16:48) - What ultimately led you to raise capital and start a fund? (18:08) - How large was the first fund? What are some things looking back that you didn’t expect? (20:48) - Did Zak Schwarzman have a VC background or institutional money experience? (24:23) - How large was your second fund? (24:28) - How much is being invested in PropTech globally? (25:02) - How many deals do you see per year vs. how many you ultimately invest in? (25:52) - Which things within deals jump out to you that immediately cause you to say 'no'? (29:50) - What are good founders doing well while they’re raising money? (34:17) - Do you require founders to have a co-founder? (36:10) - Do you care if the founder has a real estate background? (39:42) - What would a founder say is the value given to you from MetaProp post-funding? (41:56) -  How often do you communicate with the founders you work with? (46:59) - What's the difference between leading a round vs. just participating in a round? (50:12) - What does a typical project look like for your consulting and advisory side of the business? (51:27) - Is there a certain asset type that is getting more investment than others? (54:02) - What kind of technology is around single-family and multi-family? (55:35) - Is PropTech aiding in the effort to get people back into the office or the WFH situation? (56:33) - Do you think the idea of COVID Cleaning & thermal scanning could be seen as short-sighted? (59:55) - Do you have a crazy 5-10 year prediction? (1:00:49) - Do you have a crazy investment that got away? (1:03:29) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:04:03) - If you owned a billboard on a major highway and could put whatever you wanted on there, what would it say? (1:04:48) - How can people reach you? Email Zach: [email protected] Book: PropTech101 The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On this episode, Fort Capital CEO Chris Powers outlines the underwriting process on industrial deals from start to finish making it simple to understand whether you’re green or a seasoned veteran. This episode will provide an outline for how these deals get done and the mistakes that a lot of people make along the way so you can deal smarter in the future.  Enjoy!  For more on Underwriting, visit the Fort Capital website here.  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (01:07) - What is Underwriting? (02:14) - Variables that Contribute to the Value in Underwriting (02:40) - Market, Demographic and their Respective Trends (03:50) - Purchase Price (04:15) - Expenses (05:04) - Modeling Expenses Out in a 5-Year Model (05:21) - Taxes & Insurance (06:15) - Tenants (07:03) - Where Rent is Today vs. the Market Rate (07:59) - Tenant Renewal Probability (09:55) - Current Vacancies (10:42) - Capital Expenditure Requirements (11:44) - Tenant Improvement Costs (12:26) - Underwriting the Capital Structure & Refinance Scenarios (13:49) - What does an exit scenario look like? (15:15) - Things People Miss and Mistakes We’ve Missed Along the Way (18:45) - How Fort Capital Thinks About the Process of Doing a Deal (19:59) - How Long the Underwriting Process Should Take (20:42) - Where We Get Most of Our Data (21:12) - Where does information live when underwriting? How is it communicated to the team & non-team? (22:58) - Final Thoughts on Underwriting (23:58) - Writing an Investment Memo (25:10) - What We Think about Presenting in Our Memos (26:12) - Reasons to Acquire (26:38) - Location Overview (27:09) - The Property Itself (27:35) - Tenant Overview (28:10) - Sources and Uses of Funds (29:02) - Financial Summary & What Investors Can Expect in Return (30:22) - Partnership Terms (31:48) - Models & Return Summary (32:17) - Property Photos & Market Map (33:02) - Conclusion & Free Resources from Fort Capital The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight up Podcasts

Barry Davis is the CEO of EnLink Midstream, one of the largest midstream energy companies in the United States. On this episode, he and Chris discuss an emphasis on hard work and relationships in business, the state of oil & gas in 2020, the Better Man organization, as well as the importance of faith in business leadership. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitallp.com (02:17) - Barry’s Story (05:14) - How did that early emphasis on hard work and relationships influence your teen years and intro into the business world? (06:22) - How did you go from being a landman to starting your first company? (09:09) - Was there a certain opportunity or experience that made you to take the leap? (10:01) - How would you describe the Midstream business in 2020? (11:08) - What was the outside capital environment? What did the first day in the office look like? (12:32) -  Can you paint a picture of where the company is today? (14:10) - What’s life like as a private CEO vs. a public CEO? (16:25) - Do things like strategy and vision evolve when you go from 50 employees to 1,000+? (17:48) - What's the state of oil & gas today and is this different from cycles in the past? (22:09) - What are the businesses that will survive COVID doing right now? (23:26) - How do you view ESG? (Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance) (25:54) - How Chris and Barry Met and the Significance of this Episode (26:59) - How did thinking about a balanced life and doing things differently from others in business captivate you? (29:25) - How are you able to incorporate faith with business leadership? (32:04) - Are there certain things someone in their 30's can do that will set them up for their 2nd half of life? (34:18) - What is the Better Man organization? (37:52) - What is biblical manhood vs. how manhood is defined by today’s culture? (39:16) - What’s the experience like in the curriculum? (40:54) - When did you get involved with the Halftime Institute and how has it impacted you? (43:17) - How do you plan on spending the 2nd half of your life? (44:38) - Do you have a morning routine? (45:41) - What does ‘do the right thing and you’ll always be able to go back to where you’ve been’ mean? (47:06) - What’s a book you’ve read that has had an impact on you? The Bible Halftime by Bob Beuford 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller (48:53) - If you had a billboard that you could put anything on for the world to see, what would you put? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Chris sits down with his longtime friend Rayne Austin, the VP of Stronghold Resource Partners, to do a deep dive into the Cattle Business. Rayne walks Chris through the multiple phases of the life cycle for cattle, how each phase makes money, the "Big 4" packers, and how COVID-19 exposed a major bottleneck in the industry. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com   (03:46) - Rayne’s Background (05:43) - What are the phases of a cow's life and how do you move from one to the next? (08:42) - Do the calves only live off of their mother’s milk or are they consuming feed in the first phase? (09:52) - Do cows sell for less if they haven’t been weened? (10:14) - How much money are people trying to get from selling in the calf/cow phase? (10:57) - How do you transfer 10,000 calves to the stockyard? (12:05) - How many calves fit in a truckload? (12:24) - What’s the purpose of the stockyard? (14:00) - How big are you trying to get the cows to become in the stock phase? (14:20) - What’s the pricing model for cattle? (16:40) - What do cows look like at the end of the stocker phase? What happens when they move to the feed yard? (17:50) - How long do they stay in the feed yard? (18:06) - Where does all that feed come from? (18:41) - Do they go to slaughter from the feed yard? (19:05) - Why don’t folks complete all three phases under one roof? (20:22) - What are the biggest risks in the industry? (21:33 ) - What are the biggest upsides to the business? (22:31) - Why were the packing houses doing well but not the cattle ranchers during COVID? (24:08) - What happens when you have cattle ready to leave the feed yard but packers not willing to take them? (25:28) - Can a cow get ‘too big’ to where it affects the meat? (26:19) - How is veal made? (27:25) - Rayne’s Experience Working at the Largest Virtual Auctioneering House (29:34) - Does everyone buy in the business hedge or is it case by case? (30:41) - Why are calves who haven’t been weened high risk? (31:36) - Why do some people hedge and some don’t? (33:04) - How is the majority of this business made up from an ownership perspective? (37:39) - Does the climate and location of feed yards change what the cow will look like? (39:56) - Are the majority of these legacy companies just growing to a point where the barrier to entry is more difficult? (41:41) - What’s the day to day like for someone like your grandfather working in the field 7 days a week? (44:35) - How many cattle are there per acre in America? (1:11:31) - Who are the Big 4 in Cattle? (1:11:58) - What did the government do for cattle ranchers during COVID? (1:13:10) - How far out can you hedge? (1:14:26) - Since you’ve been around, what’s been the best year to be in this business? (1:15:58) - Do the major packers dominate the industry or does it revolve around the cattle rancher? (1:16:35) - How would you value a cattle operation? (1:18:44) - The U.S. Beef Trade Deal with China (1:19:49) - If you had 100 million dollars and you had to invest in the cattle business, where would you put it? (1:21:45) - What is a day like for a ranch hand? (1:24:01) - What does it cost to lease land to put your cattle on? (1:26:25) - We’ve found ways to make food for cheaper and less. At what point have we gone too far and we’re just making bad beef? (1:28:02) - Do cattle ranchers pay insurance on the cattle? (1:29:58) - How far are we from a point in time where there are not enough people in the industry? (1:30:42) - What’s your favorite cut of beef? (1:31:01) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

On today's episode, Antonia Botero, the Founder and Principal at MADD Project, joins Chris to discuss her experience in large scale multi-family conversions and ground-up development construction in Manhattan. They'll discuss project & construction management in the real estate industry, how to hire a General Contractor, how to make a great contract, early things to do to make a project more successful, ways to save on project costs, holding contractors accountable, negotiating and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com   (02:35) - How did you become a wizard in project & construction management? (06:31) - What does studying architecture mean from your perspective and do you recommend others do the same? (09:57) -  How has technology opened the ecosystem for people to quickly study architecture? (11:45) - What does ‘getting into the field’ mean to you? Why were you drawn to it? (12:37) - Designing Feasible Buildings vs. Buildings that Simply Look Good in a Rendering (15:29) - What is MADD Project? (15:57) - Why is having an owner's rep useful? (19:45) - When is the best time to hire an owner’s rep in a project? (22:35) - What is it like getting a project done in a mega-city like New York and dealing with community boards? (27:32) - What’s the difference in breakdowns on the consulting side of MADD Project? (30:53) - What’s the best way to hold contractors accountable to their timeline? (33:29) - What are three things that make for a really strong contract? (35:32) - Are you usually the GC on a project or do you help hire a GC?  (38:25) - What does bonding mean? (39:29) - Which incentive structures work best with contractors? (42:42) - What is a GMP?  (Guaranteed Maximum Price) (45:20) - When entering a brand new market, what are things you want to hear from a GC before doing business with them? (47:08) - What do drawings look like in a good place vs. a bad place? (48:40) - How do you know who’s worked on a certain project when talking to GCs? (49:25) - Have you learned any major lessons following big mistakes? (58:07) - How do you deal with change orders if there’s ambiguity in the contract? (1:00:12) - What next-gen construction form do you see having the most viable cost savings over the next 5-10 years? (1:02:41) - Are you seeing signs that construction costs will come down? (1:04:30) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:06:03) - What’s the best advice you’ve received? (1:06:22) - What is the best book you’ve read recently? The Art of Asking - Amanda Palmer (1:07:05) - How has twitter impacted you and your business? (1:09:14) - If you owned a billboard on the side of the road, what would you put on it for the world to see? (1:10:12) - Antonia's Contact Information Antonia's Twitter The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Sce Pike is the Founder and CEO of IOTAS, a complete smart apartment ecosystem with simple installation giving residents the best user experience for their Smart Apartments. On this episode, she and Chris talk about the early days of the startup, the importance of getting right in front of your customers, how IOTAS is helping users at the property management level, Sce's experience during the DotCom Bubble, and much more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapital.com (01:42) - Sce’s Story (03:40) - What did IOTAS look like early on as a startup? (05:49) - Are there things about IOTAS that might have been different if you hadn’t started the company in an actual apartment? (08:19) -  Can you explain the IOTAS product from a software perspective and how it integrates with hardware? (10:33) - Are you a better fit for someone building brand new units or are you able to integrate with an already established apartment? (12:14) - For fully operating complexes, what is IOTAS' process for coming in and integrating everything? (13:28) - What are the most common ways that tenants are using the product? (15:08) - What does it look like at the property management level? (16:37) - Is there data on the average savings amount you’ll present to potential customers? (17:17) - Do you provide reports on efficiencies? (17:59) - What’s the long term vision for how the IOTAS set up works? (18:36) - Is there anything that the IOTAS product is doing that you didn't expect? (22:42) - What are the biggest bottlenecks for your ability to scale? (24:50) - How did the partnership with Amazon come about and why did you choose them? (28:46) - What’s the difference between using Alexa without linking their account and actually linking it? (29:31) - When are potential tenants interacting with Alexa? (30:36) - Is this an exclusive partnership with Amazon? (30:52) - What’s it like working with Amazon? (31:51) - Is Apple trying to get into this space? (32:26) - What does an exit look like in this space? (33:26) - What’s the definition of a TelCo from your perspective? (33:55) - How did you get into this industry? (35:46) - What was your web design business like in college? (36:19) - What was the DotCom Bubble like in the early 2000s? (37:18) - What was it that ended the company you were employed with during the bust? (40:00) - What is "creative destruction"? (41:18) - How were you able to create self-guided tours and have them ready in 4 weeks? (43:07) - How does the self-guided tour work? (44:52) - Where have you learned your leadership style? (45:45) - What’s the reality of Portland right now? (47:54) - Do you have a morning routine? (49:19) - What’s the best advice someone’s ever given you? (49:59) - Any books that have inspired you? The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horrowitz Measure What Matters - John Doerr (50:53) - If there was a billboard that you could put anything on for the world to see, what would it show? (51:14) - What's the best way to reach you or find IOTAS? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Mark Duclos is the Co-founder & President of Sentry Commercial and the President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). Sentry focuses on brokerage, property management, and construction management based in the Hartford and Western Massachusetts area. On this episode, they discuss the future of the office, working on deals with massive companies like Amazon, technology in real estate, Mark's experience in SIOR, and much more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (01:58) - Mark’s Story (07:26) - Which markets are you focused on and where are they located? (08:55) - What’s going on in the Western Mass/Connecticut market right now within the asset classes you work in? (12:50) - Are people that are leaving Connecticut staying in New England or are they leaving the area completely? (13:39) - What’s your take on office in the next 12 months? (16:51) - Do you think that NYC will come back stronger than ever or is there more permanent damage that people are overlooking? (18:14) -  Are you seeing an influx of demand for E-commerce? (19:56) - Is there anything different about working with Amazon compared to other clients? (21:36) - Is the 3.8 million square feet all under one roof or how is that broken out? (22:45) - Are you involved in any of the Amazon moves to purchase defunct malls, JC Penny, Sears, etc.? (23:40) - What is SIOR and why did you become so involved? (26:02) - How do you become a member of SIOR? (26:57) - What kind of insights does SIOR provide its members? (28:11) - What is your role as president of SIOR? (30:24) - What have you learned in this leadership role through the past year? (32:16) - How does your business use technology and why is it so important as we move forward? (36:27) - Why did you decide to get into Residential & then into Multi-Family? (37:44) - Do you have a morning routine? (40:10) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? (41:46) - Is there a book that has had an impact on you? - Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi - Feedly: The News Aggregator (42:44) - If there was a billboard you could put anything on for the world to see, what would you put? (44:09) - How can people contact you? The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts  

On today's episode, Chris breaks down why Fort Capital has spent so much time and energy in the Class B Industrial space over the past 4+ years. He lists the four most important reasons for pursuing Class B Industrial as well as why he believes this asset class has a promising future. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (01:09) - Episode Agenda (01:40) - The “ah-ha” Moment in 2016 and 4 Big Ideas (02:07) - Idea 1: Do we think online sales will increase or decrease? (02:49) - Idea 2: Class B Industrial is Infill in Nature (03:29) - Idea 3: How Travis Kalanick, Founder of Uber, Goes on to Found Cloud Kitchens Using Industrial Space (05:16) - Idea 4: The Depleting Supply Class and Growing Tenant Base (10:21) - Why Class B Industrial is Sticky (12:02) - The Cannabis Opportunity for Class B Industrial (13:00) - The Historical Ownership of Class B Industrial & Flying Under the Institutional Radar (14:25) - Class B Industrial Has a Predictable CapEx (16:16) - Management in Class B Industrial (17:16) - The Value Add and Their Un-Sexiness (18:13) - The Wrap Up (19:36) - Call Out to Owners & Brokers Looking to Chat/Sell Industrial Fort Capital's Deal Incentive Program The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts

Today's episode features Nick Huber, the founder of The Sweaty Startup - a podcast packed with the principles, strategies, and methods used to grow successful companies and Storage Squad which provides student storage, self storage, and moving services. Today, Nick and Chris discuss the importance of the 'un-sexy' jobs that keep the country running, Nick's additional startup Storage Squad that he founded during college, his unique capital structure when doing deals, how Nick incorporates technology into his business, the benefits they both have gotten from Twitter & more. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter! www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com (02:23) - Nick’s Journey (03:09) - How did you come up with the idea for Storage Squad? (06:11) - Is Storage Squad still running today? (06:34) - Where do you see that business going? (07:21) - How did you meet Dan? How did he become your business partner? (08:06) - What was it like being a decathlete and training for the Olympics? (09:31) - How do you describe your podcast The Sweaty Startup? (12:22) - What are you thinking about in terms of ‘Sweaty’ businesses that can do really well in this unique COVID environment? (14:30) - What’s it going to take to get this next generation of people excited about blue collar work? (16:05) - Nick’s Twitter Rebuttals to the VC/Tech World (16:58) - When did you buy your first self-storage deal? (19:03) -  Why did you choose to develop a deal in this market? (19:45) - What factors play into analyzing a market you are interested in? (21:13) - When do you go boots on the ground while finding deals? (22:04) - Why are you hyper-focused on tertiary markets instead of core markets? (23:13) - What’s the difference between a Class A storage unit and what you are buying? (23:52) - What makes you bullish about self-storage? (26:00) - Nick Explains His ‘Weird’ Capital Structure (29:33) - When you’re buying a deal, are you calling local banks in that market or do you have a go-to bank that will travel with you? (30:11) - Are you planning to turn this into a franchise? (31:05) - Nick’s Family Values and Living Frugally (34:49) - One of the Most Interesting Deals Nick has Done (38:47) - What do you actually have to do to evict someone from a storage unit? (39:53) - Do you see the selling of left over stuff as a profit center or a pain in the ass? (40:46) - The Gloversville Deal (44:53) - The Technology Nick Uses to Remotely Manage Properties (47:44) - What’s the average length of a lease in your portfolio? (48:16) - What does an average unit lease for? (49:19) - What’s the craziest thing you've seen left behind and the most expensive thing left behind in a unit? (50:08) - Nick’s Crazy 10-Year Prediction for the Future (52:37) - How do you incorporate digital marketing into your business? (54:42) - How do you think about risk? (57:21) - Where do you want your business to be in 10 years? (58:46) - Do you have a morning routine? (1:01:35) - The Pros and Cons of Twitter and Media (1:05:53) - What’s the best advice you have ever received? (1:07:27) - How can people contact you? Contact Nick: @sweatystartup Books Mentioned: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry  The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts