RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Podcast w/ Interruptions by Jorge Dez
Talking local sports, business and real estate.
RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Podcast w/ Interruptions by Jorge Dez
Professional Listing Photos Are NOT Optional | John McNamara, Aden Klinger & Jorge Dez
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Hey guys, it's John McMahon host Running Vegas. We're talking local sports business real estate. If you guys see what you like, subscribe, follow us on Running Vegas podcast today. I got my code Mr. George. He hasn't done this in three like three weeks of now looking at all his energy. Mr. Aiden, thanks for being on, brother.
SPEAKER_00Likewise. It's an honor and a privilege.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we're excited to have you on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 100%, man. No, I like I was. So fierce. Excited to have you on Relanche.
SPEAKER_01Relanche. Yeah, I know, I know. I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00No, 100%. Lunch was super dope. I had a good time with you guys, so I knew podcasts would be even more fun. Yeah, a little more unhinged. Yeah. Yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00100%.
SPEAKER_01So what's going on, man?
SPEAKER_00Uh, not much, man.
SPEAKER_01We're excited to have you finally. Tell us about you, your story. Yeah. Sorry if I interrupt, but it is. I don't know if I fully disclosed. It's John McNamara podcast with interruptions by George, because my ADD began. Well, I didn't take my medication today either. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. I'm accustomed to all these things. You met us at you got the real Us at lunch. Yeah, 100%. Get the real US at too. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But uh a little bit of background is uh, you know, I've been uh running a photography and video production business for going on nine years now. Um started in 2018 and um no formal photography experience or business experience, just a kid with a camera in his hand and a lot of ambition. And uh, you know, I got into this world, uh, the real estate world. I got my license when I was like 18, turning 19, and um just by a stroke of luck, I was working with somebody who was like a family friend of mine, he was a real estate broker, and he was honestly the one that gave me the idea to get into the photography and marketing side of you know real estate as opposed to trying to get into sales. Because I mean, looking back on it, and he was right, like no one's gonna trust an 18 or 19-year-old with one of the biggest transactions of their lives. Yeah, I probably wouldn't either, no offense to all the young realtors out there. But um, you know, the idea was like, okay, get into the industry, learn like the business and shake the hands you need to shake, make those connections, and then when you're older, do whatever you want. You know, at least I had something I could do and uh call it my own. And then, you know, it turned out to be something that grew a lot quicker than I thought it would be. I actually had a passion for it, being creative, you know. It's it's funny, I always tell people like I was I was in high school, I thought I wanted to be a paramedic, and I can't do blood or needles, so I'm not sure what the hell I was thinking. Yeah, so how did you come up on that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't know. I I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I I you know, I I I think uh growing up in a single mother household, like just you know, somebody who had always kind of pushed the sentiment of like get a reliable job, work in an industry that's kind of like recession proof, so the medical field may say.
SPEAKER_01Like be a doctor or a lawyer, yeah. So that was yeah, that was kind of what I Okay, we're not working past childhood trauma. Yeah, we're happy. We're healed, we're healed now. So is that where the uh unconventional business model you have? For all you guys realtors that do not use Aiden, um you have a little unconventional, which I would think because we go out on a limb, spend money on marketing, we meet with people, sometimes we're working clients, we're working with them three, six months, and then the deal doesn't close and our time and money is wasted. And you have that very similar model to a realtor in your photography business.
SPEAKER_00Is that where that came from, or did that come later? Uh so a lot of people think it was something that came out of necessity through like changes in the market, but it's something that I've been doing since day one in my company. Yeah. Um you were ahead of the game, bro. Yeah. You were ahead of the game, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well, so like where the idea came from is like when I first got into it, even before I started the business, like I was realizing how much like time, money, and effort and resources goes into like listings as a realtor. And then also hit getting to the realization of like, oh, you guys work for free until you close the deal. Like, that's crazy. You know, right? Um, so I was like, Well, they're not gonna fork up four or five, six hundred bucks. It's hard, especially out of pocket, you know, to do marketing, especially you have to understand too. This was a different time. This is 2018 in Reno. And I love Reno, and obviously it's you know what got me to this point in my career, right? That's where I started everything. But things just move a lot slower there, right? So, like back then, the only people that were doing photography and not they weren't even doing video, wasn't even in the realm of possibilities back then, but photography. Yeah, exactly. So they were doing that, and maybe you were uh you know top producer or you had a special client or you were doing luxury listings, but the average person, like this service wasn't accessible, right? You know, so I wanted to like really change the approach to where it was like one, it was showing people that it actually does work, it's a very like crucial part of selling a property, and this isn't going away anytime soon. It's the first impression of your listing and of your business and brand. So it's gotta be something that's uh top-notch, otherwise, people are gonna keep looking.
SPEAKER_01You know, so I have two throw shade Thursday things I want to say. So, for any realtor that's doing that, I think you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna this is what I'm gonna do. It so I'm tired of seeing the phone pictures.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01There is no excuse for any of you guys to be doing this. If you guys are still doing phone pictures, not only am I gonna tag you, I'm gonna find you on Instagram, I'm gonna tag you, and then you can reach out to them, like, hey bro, you don't gotta do this no more. Yeah, bro.
SPEAKER_03That's even I'll say this when we're we're looking at properties for clients to send. As soon as I get like the iPhone pictures or whatever, the phone pictures, I don't even send it to my clients. No, because it doesn't show up. No, it's shit. It makes a big difference. And there's a lot of people.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna do that because it's like call me your like a recruiter. There you go. My man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Your service creates a lot of trust because we're on the same way, and you gotta get, I think you gotta give yourself a little credit too. I think you have like a salesmanship about you because I think you started in sales, yeah, yeah, and that's what we appreciate about you. Yeah, you know, because not a lot of entrepreneurs have that ability to connect the way you do and have lunch and hang out and talk to us. That is true too. And you go out of your way to, you know, uh broker meetings to talk to us. So that goes a long way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because our business shifted that way. Um, because I told John, I'm like, hey, we are not giving business out to anyone, anyone contractor, unless we've had lunch with them. Like, we need to make sure we're vibing. Yeah, I'm like, it's all about relationships. I'm like, and it's just that. But the second thing I was gonna say was um, since it is Thursday, so I call it Trochet Thursday, like I coined that. So if anybody else uses it, know that you heard it here first. Um no, there's a company right now in Vegas trying to follow your model. It's okay. Yeah, it does.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I'm yeah, and I'm super stoked to talk about that actually. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Okay, well, if they're your friends, I hated on them.
SPEAKER_00No, I'm not hate, I'm not hating on them at all.
SPEAKER_01No, I no, no, I I know. I don't hey, whatever I say, guys, has no representation on what John or Aiden, however, I hated on them, and I'm like, Yeah, it's like what you're offering I already have, and he's like cool, no, I'm not gonna try it even once.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there's there's a reason why it's not gaining traction with any of our competitors here in Vegas and beyond.
SPEAKER_01But I talk shit even if you do know people, so I don't care. I'm like, I'm always gonna keep it real.
SPEAKER_00That's a sobby. For me, I think I try to be cool with everybody in my industry because when I first got into this, the wall of course. I don't I'm getting fatigued for sure. I'm definitely patience with a lot of people. But but I always said to myself, like, okay, when I'm on the other side of the table, I'm always gonna extend my arm to help people out and give them advice or give them pointers or hire whatever. Or hire yeah, that too, that's the easier option, right? But but you know, because when I first got into it, I was like 19 and no camera experience. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, and so like always asking people for advice, and I was like, I'll literally pay you to show me how you do this. Right, and it was left on unheard ears, you know. And so I was like, okay, well, and that's just a photography and creative thing, I understand, right? And so I don't take that personal. But going back to like the build to escrow stuff, I mean, we've been doing that long before it was cool, you know what I mean? And I think it's funny, like, because a lot of the people that are doing it now, and they're not doing it correctly because it's it's not truly build to escrow, because they're using, I don't know, yeah. Yeah, I'll I'll get into that in just a sec if you don't mind. But um we've been doing it, yeah, we've been doing it for a long time, and and so we did all of the infrastructure and built it out ourselves, and it's truly results guaranteed. Whereas these other companies that are doing it, they don't know how to talk about it. One and two, honestly, they bashed me on it for years and told me it was the dumbest idea ever, and now they're doing it. But anyway, uh it's like that Iggy Azalea song, right? You like my drift. Yeah, right, right. You know, they saw that it was working for us and they took action. But it's not true, Bill Descrow, unfortunately, because you have to use a third-party company, and essentially, and a lot of times you have to get a credit check to be able to be eligible for it. You have to pay a deposit regardless. Yes, and deposit it was you owe them that you you owe them money now too, and you know, if you decide to, you know, not yeah, they're trying to market it like you truly do.
SPEAKER_01However, they want to make sure they don't.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, with us, yeah. Yeah, with us, there's no going through a third-party lender, there's no credit checks, there's nothing like we we do everything in-house and we communicate directly with the title companies. We we make a very streamlined decision. You took a chance on us. Well, I mean, also I trust you guys. You know, like for me, like I that's a high chance. But but for me, like I uh you going back to what you were talking about with like the lunch stuff, too. It's like I I feel the same way because I tell people I'm like, my services aren't for everybody. I don't try to work with everybody. I want to I want to manifest, and I'm very blessed to be in that position in my career now where like I can really manifest the kind of clients I want.
SPEAKER_01See, that's that's where we vibe. That's why I think it's setting the intention and the manifest. We believe in that stuff. That's why we reorganize our whole I'm like, hey, we gotta be vibing with everybody. We gotta want to hang out with everybody outside of work because then it's like personal, right? You succeed, I succeed. And then we're truly looking out, yeah. Like me, I'm like, what opportunity can I put Aiden in, you know, what little events? I'm like, they're not little events, that some of them are big events, but I'm like, where he can get in front of people. Now I'm like invested in you as a person. I'm like, okay, cool.
SPEAKER_03And that service too was huge for our business because we've always been very heavy listing based. And then when you're going through the expenses and there's a shift in the marketplace, it's like, oh my gosh, half of our expenses are just photos. Yeah, you know, and they add up. They don't seem like a lot, but when you take eight, ten listings a month, right, and then they're not selling because there's a shift in the market, um, yeah, your service came and you have you have high quality too. So we got best of both worlds.
SPEAKER_01So it's John's very humble, guys. It's like, and you know, we're a really good team, not to just suit our own horror, but when he's saying taking, you know, 10 to 15 listings, it's not to show off. But uh, if you're looking for a team and uh that shows you how to take listings, hit us up. That's us. That's the one. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but uh, but to what you were saying, John, is like I I I love that part of the business because I it's allowed me to really like stay on track and like keep up with my clients too, because like their success is mine, right? Like I have to do a good job and best represent you and your listings, otherwise the houses don't sell, and then I don't get an invoice paid, right? Um, and it's been cool too because like I have a lot of clients now that I've been doing this for as long as I have been, is like people they called me for their very first listing, and then fast forward three years, they're top producers. Yeah, so it's been something that's been cool because it works across the spectrum for those brand new agents who you know want to start off on the right foot and really take their business seriously, and then it works for top producers and big dogs like you guys who have the eight, ten, twelve listings a month, and they're like, I'm not trying to fork up thousands of dollars in me.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but it got me. Yeah. Well, I like about your service too, even like say we even have like any, we haven't had necessary issues, but we need something done. We can call you directly, work with you, you have different packages, you just you pick up the phone. Yeah, or you text us back really quick, which I really appreciate that because not owner, not all owners do that.
SPEAKER_00So for sure. I I think unfortunately, like the the creative world, like the bar of entry, it's kind of like real estate, unfortunately, like the barrier of entry is just a little bit too low. So you have unfortunately bad eggs, and then you've got people that are somewhere in that middle, and then you got people who see this as like a real business and you know have standards, right? And and I think the the people that set those standards very high, they rise to the top naturally. Yeah, both in my industry and in yours. Yeah, that's how I see it at least.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, for sure. Yeah, I'm like, yeah, no, it's all good stuff. I'm like, my head's going till Columbia, that's all I can think about right now. Can we talk about it right now? Well, you know what I think it's how does simplify so quickly. Yeah, okay, go ahead.
SPEAKER_03All right, yeah, let's say I'm busy. Yeah, yeah, let's say I'm busy. I know my head's all over the place. So, what are like what are your goals? What have been the big challenges this past year for you? Yeah. You want to hear more about that. Yeah, now we're gonna talk a lot of that.
SPEAKER_01You're right, because you you do have a couple offices. Uh actually, yeah, let's promote that. You're right. Yeah, I get a little carried away. No, no, no, you're good. Okay, because you have a couple offices and you're in the city. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So no, so I mean, I think uh really for me this year was like figuring out the system of like growth and scaling far beyond just like the markets that we're in. So like I see like my business as like hubs, right? Where like Reno, Las Vegas, and Cleveland are my my hubs for my business.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And each place has its staff and its team, and I'm seeing like each place is like my branch manager factories, if you will, right? Where like I want, at least my vision is that I want to take the best couple of people every year. And instead of them just being a photographer who shows up and takes pictures for me, now they're an actual, you know, the best vested interest in the business and they're a partner, if you will. And I give I give them an opportunity to grow and start a business that's theirs, and we get to partner up on something and do it in a different city. And as opposed to trying to do it all on your own and figure it out and go through those trials and errors. But I've been the one that slipped and fall fell for the last eight, nine years, so you don't have to. Right. Right? So give them all the tools and infrastructure and resources to be able to be successful as well.
SPEAKER_01Smart. So let me ask you this how do you choose what city you go to next? Great question.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you. Um so honestly, there's not like a lot of like criteria besides it being a place with houses, you know. But I mean it's got it's gotta be. God willing, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I like that. I like that. Yeah, I'd like to be. I mean, you know, for us, it's there's no ceiling. Right. Like, I think you know, we're lucky with places like say Reno, like we've got kind of like those those easy like offshoots like Reno to Sacramento, it's a two-hour drive. And we were already doing a lot of business there on occasion, and so it just made sense to start taking that market more seriously. Or Cleveland, you know, Cleveland's actually the place that I don't talk about that place enough, but that's where we do the most volume. We do about 250 to 300 photo shoots a month just in the city of Cleveland. And if you look at it on a map, Columbus to Pittsburgh, those are our two newest locations on the East Coast, it's almost like a triangle. Yeah, so all of those areas were and in between those areas.
SPEAKER_01Man, I think I want to be a photographer just to travel with your company.
SPEAKER_03I think that would make a lot of sense. I know like the Midwest is doing a lot better in real estate, but usually those markets are a lot slower. I'm originally from upstate New York, and I would have loved your service 20 years ago because that didn't exist. But yeah, houses would stay in the market six, twelve, eighteen months. That was very normal for those type of areas.
SPEAKER_01So just any opportunity to tell people you're from New York.
SPEAKER_03Oh, like you don't talk about California. I have a question. Is Sacramento a part of the Bay or not? Yeah, we talked about Sacramento.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so well, no, not technically. No, it's not part of the Bay Area. However, give me a yeah, no. Yeah, no, that's the Bay Area thing. Yeah, no. Yeah, no, so San Francisco the Sacramento is not. No, uh definitely not, but but for the kids that are just kind of in that area, they'll someone and we'll let it have some. How do we have San Francisco from Sacky So even though I say I'm a hundred percent Mexican guys, I'm actually from San Francisco. I was born there. Yeah, I I lived four years. I've never lived in Mexico, and I'm not a hundred percent Mexican, but I just claim to be. But now it doesn't matter because it's whatever you identify with. But you're a little Colombian.
SPEAKER_00Uh my inheritance, I I kind of became Colombian. Yeah, it's it's been it's it's cool, you know. But uh I I've been there a few times now. My first time there was end of 2023, start of 2024, and it was a trip that wasn't planned by me by any means. It was my best friend planned it. He backed out of the trip like a week before we were supposed to go. I decided to still be able to do it. What a baby. Big baby. What a baby, yeah. And it's like friend, if you're looking at this, it's like I made sure he got FOMO, so now he's gone with me twice. So we're going together in a couple weeks. Okay.
SPEAKER_01I hope he pays for the entire thing for once you got that first thing. Yeah, it's like, hey, I'm talking shit. I don't even know you, but it makes sense. Yeah, it would only make sense. Hey, remember that first time? Now it's all on you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but I no, I I I fell in love with it because I think um it's a great country that's very misunderstood, very similar to like to my home, right? I I grew up in Israel and and I think obviously the the problems are very, very different, but also it's it's one of those places where if you go off of what you see on the news um and you don't actually do the research yourself, you're like, oh my god, what is this horrendous place? You know what I mean? And then you'll never go or you'll never have a positive uh thought about it, right?
SPEAKER_01Which is so sad because I was reading this thing about the Americans the other day, and it said that about 80% of the population have never left, and I think it was like a 150-mile radius. Yeah. And I'm like, how can you South America through America? Americans. Americans. I'm not surprised by that either. Yeah, and I'm like, one, it's just crazy to me. I can't believe it because my parents have always done a big trip every year that's somewhere different, and through travel, we understand kind of to your point, is that everybody's normal is different, right? So then you become a lot less judgmental and a lot more open to the world and what oh, this is normal, this is not, and then we start realizing a lot, but I won't get into politics today. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but I think yeah, but I think to your point, like I I think most people in Las Vegas, not even just Vegas, but most people here don't know what goes on outside of the 200 215 loop, you know what I mean? Yeah, and that's that's a and I always say that about uh Rena too. No one knows what's going on outside of the McCarn loop. It's it's it's crazy, you know. So um I I think everybody needs to go out and travel and explore and learn different cultures and humble yourself. Because honestly, for me, like growing up, being born and growing up in a different country in the Middle East, getting to travel to a lot of different countries and continents and see many cultures. Like, I always come back to America, I'm like, man, we have it so good. Like people have no idea. Like, we live in the best country in the world. No, don't get me started.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, not to get political, but yeah, but I don't want to be canceled, but yeah, I'm like, hey, if you went out of the country, you would stop talking the way you do, right? It gives me a sense of it's American privilege, of course.
SPEAKER_00It gives yeah, it gives you such like such like a realization of like wow, we have it so good, you know. Like the problems, like someone's worst day in America is somebody's best day in Colombia or in Brazil or in China, right? Right, yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, it's very good.
SPEAKER_01It is for sure. It's like, okay, so we're heading a little into Colombia. So, okay, so there were parts that uh you had seen it or maybe thought of it a little different. So what what's what was a culture shock or what was something that changed your mind and you're like, yeah, I'm digging it? Because now you're dating somebody that's Colombian. Yeah, you liked it that much.
SPEAKER_00100%, yeah. Well, so and I'll I'll get into the relationship part of it too. But okay, shout out to the girlfriend, yeah. Shout out to Sara. But uh, so we yeah, so I love uh I love the people there, honestly. Like everyone's so friendly and warm and just like got good energy, right? Yeah, everyone's always down for a good time, right? Like, like food and alcohol is very like it's a big part of the culture, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's why I think I identify with. Yeah, yeah. Don't I don't blame you? Yeah, Carol, G, if you're seeing this, I want to marry you.
SPEAKER_00And and so, like, it it's that part of it. It's also a beautiful country. Um, and it's so I like the first time I went, I went with zero expectations because I did no research besides like a couple of things. That's bravery, too. Yeah, and I got there and I was like, this is fucking dope. Like, this is awesome, you know. Like, I was so impressed. And then like the whole time, as soon as I left, I was like, when am I going back here? You know? Yeah. Um, so I really now that I'm dating somebody who lives down there, uh, once every month and a half, month or every time. I'm gonna have to like tag along. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm very blessed for that. Yeah, you know, because I I understand that uh dating somebody in a different country sounds insane for the uh for most people, right? Yeah, but you're blessed to be able to go off too. Right. Well, that's yeah, that's what I always tell people. Like, I I acknowledge that my life is a little bit unorthodox to the average person. Like, I don't have a nine to five, or I don't have to report to a boss. I can I can travel, I can work off my laptop as long as my phone works and my computer works. With that being said, I can do that work.
SPEAKER_01Not to undermine what you go through, because you always are responsive and you're always on top of your game. It is actually more responsibility at times than having a nine to five than just taking a vacation. Oh, for sure. So yeah, because it's more time management 24 hours instead.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, my my dad always told me and is that uh you know, you work 24-7 to avoid the nine to five. Right, right, right, right. Yeah, irony. Yeah, so yeah, so it's uh, you know, I feel very privileged that I can do that and and date beyond just the 215 loop of Las Vegas, right? And and and be with the person that, you know, I hopefully God is putting me meant to put me in front of you. We need to have a dating show, dude, yeah. 215.
SPEAKER_01I I don't know who's dating out there right now, but that's trash. Let me just tell you, I just did a post today on like Single moms, and I'm like, uh stop worrying about your king. I'm like, worry about your kids and the homework and getting food, and when they're 18, go ahead and go on that journey because I'm tired of hearing all these people thinking they're the peach of the day and they're not. Right. I'm like, stop.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. So what do you think of World Cup in Columbia? Man, like, what a tease for that game of teams. Like, like I love soccer, like growing up in the Middle East, like that was our that's our sport, right? So, like, and then I moved to America, right? And everyone's like, the fuck soccer, right? You know, so then like, sorry if I can't curse on here either.
SPEAKER_01Oh, no, it's okay. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. But uh we gotta be, yeah, we gotta be out of hinge, and we gotta we gotta be original and authentic. So of course.
SPEAKER_03So it's just been worse words on this podcast.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh okay. There's been worse people on the podcast. Yeah, here I am again.
SPEAKER_00You're welcome. But uh, yeah, so I I've always loved soccer, and then like having like, you know, now kind of uh I I kind of had a refind I refound like my love for soccer going to Columbia, like going to a couple of um Atlético Nacional games. And uh I remember being there for the first time. I was like, this is so so cool. Like I remember why I love soccer. And so then when the World Cup came around, and you know they had a pretty decent team this year, it was fun. Like I felt like invested into it. Yeah, and of course, like I would love nothing more than Team USA to have performed a little bit better. I mean they did for the first few games. Yeah, that last game was rough. Yeah, that's a lot of things. Yeah, yeah, they got thrown around for sure. But heck holy, man, two times messed up. Yeah, so so now watching like the Colombian team, knowing like half of the team from watching their other games and stuff on their club teams, like I felt invested into it. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like I really wanted to see them like make some moves on it. And they did, you know, but uh but it was yeah, we were talking about it. I was a little heartbroken watching that the shootout for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, or the shootout, yeah. I'm like, that was me with Mexico several World Cups ago. My parents literally were depressed, and so were we. We all went to sleep, and it was like an afternoon game. We're like, okay, it was just so sad he felt. I'm like, maybe this is why I don't watch sports. Yeah, because my anxiety would be so high. I'm like, so I could do this every four years, but yeah, I don't know. Yeah, let's talk a little bit more about Columbia because I love to travel. Yeah, so what is like the main if so if I go there, how long should I go? We should go, we should make it happen.
SPEAKER_00Let's manifest 120% should go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh no, I know I'll make it out there. My cousin's been out there, you know, a lot of people actually that live there, which is funny.
SPEAKER_03And I only hear positive things for the most part.
SPEAKER_01Your your lender, you guys are friends now, right, Jody? Yep. Yeah, yeah. Shout out my friend Jody Smith.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's like hey, just not the quarterlies.
SPEAKER_01You're just not the quarterly, you're you're you're actually a friend. She just hits you up quarterly. Irony.
unknownOh my god.
SPEAKER_01Uh so I'll I'll send this clip to Jody.
SPEAKER_03Jody Smith used to be our uh lender and he retired, but now he goes to uh half the time he goes to Colombia. Nice and there's the same city that you were talking about. I'm like, what are the chances?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, to Medellin, yeah. Yes, yes. So it's crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So tell us, what do you like about yeah, give us a little uh well if we're talking about Medellin, I think it's a beautiful city. Like you've got like the nice, like lush green mountains, right? Um I love the architecture there. The food's really good. I'm not a huge Colombian food fan. Okay. The food in Colombia is good, if that makes sense. So if you go get a burger or sushi or Mexican food there, even like the food's gas. It's awesome. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01Um is that what the kids are saying now? Gas. I suppose so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I never know.
SPEAKER_00I feel too, I'm about to be 29. I feel too old to say gas. Oh, I'm 10 years older than you, brother.
SPEAKER_01So I'm like, yeah, I still say fire.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yes, but I might switch it here pretty soon to like Fuego.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's like it's Fuego, bro. And this is probably why I should take a moment. I don't know if I'll be grabbing lunch with you guys if you start switching to Fuego.
unknownI would.
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I would question us too. Yeah. This is Fuego.
SPEAKER_03We're not making that a thing. No, no, no.
SPEAKER_00All right. Um, but of course the the nightlife is cool. Like I mentioned, the people are some of the friendliest, most like helpful folks I've made. Like, you know, like I made a friend, I made friends down there with like hardly being I speak Spanish now, but going into it with my like really broken Spanglish and people just want to like help you out and have a good time with you, like that I can appreciate. Um and then obviously, like there's a few other cities I've been to too, like Cartagena and stuff like that. It's got that like old Spanish colonial vibe to it too, and beautiful beaches and islands and stuff like that. Um a little bit uh I like that place a little bit less than I like Medellin. Okay, like I think Medellin would be like the perfect city if it had a beach. That's really all it's missing. Okay. Yeah. But and and why, why so? Is it more why I just love the energy of it? You know, it's one of those like cities, like there's a few places that I I have gone to in the world where I'm like, wow, like this is one of those places where I like I could see myself like living in full time, you know what I mean? But do you think you'll ever make that transition to Columbia full-time or it's possible. I mean, if we talk about like my relationship, like our plants to live in the US together for a few years and stack up some money. Like, I I don't know. I feel like I'm in that, like, I got another at least five to ten years of trying to make as much money as I can and be you know responsible, you know, and and be career. It gets hard, man. Yeah, yeah. So that's hard.
SPEAKER_01I have a dog now. Yeah, and you know what, it's very expensive. It ain't cheap. Yeah, no, it's like even the fucking dental cleaning. I'm like, Jesus Christ, I'm like dude. That's a so just so you guys know, it's like that that's not a dig. He's laughing. However, I'm probably not gonna have kids and I'm not gonna be married, so that is a big expense for me. And that is me being, to be 100% honest, that's me being uh responsible and mature. Yes, having a pet on my own. It is good, and yeah, so thank you very much. Yeah, is there anything else you would like to clown about? I was enjoying the puppet. Yeah, okay, okay. So, anyways, back to Aiden.
SPEAKER_00No, no, you're all good, but I don't even know where we're at. Yeah, uh, you have quite 10 years to make more money and just kind of think about it. I think America will still be my base for a while, you know what I mean? But uh, but I love the life that this business and career has given me to be able to like bounce around and travel and get to see the world, get to date somebody that I'm meant to be with, not in and not have a uh the barrier the barrier of a country uh being in different countries be what obstructs that, you know. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Our soulmate could be anywhere. 100%. Yeah, I believe it. So what okay, so what's next for your personal life? Dang it. I didn't even go through any of these questions. That's okay. Okay, all right. So what's what's next for your personal life? What's what's next for business? Like, are you opening up another office? If you guys are in the bay, I'll send this to all my bay friends. Yes, please. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I know I got you in touch with a couple people, and then yeah, I'll get more.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I think uh, you know, Denver is our newest expansion that we we just opened uh this last couple weeks. Uh after that, I don't think I'm gonna open any more, at least for like another year or so. Okay. We opened four in the last six months. So that's great. It's been a lot. Yeah. So I want to make sure that we, you know, have the momentum we have and keep it growing. We keep everything kind of you know, hashed and patterned. Um, and obviously as I transition into overseeing the whole company, not just working in Vegas, right? Um and then the personal life, yeah, just honestly keep traveling. Uh going to Columbia again in a couple weeks, actually, to go see my girlfriend. Um, going with my best friend, the one that bailed on me the first time. Best friend we're talking about this time. Yeah, so he needs to pay, he needs to pay for it. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh and then I'm glad you finally decided. It took you how many years?
SPEAKER_00Well, well, he's came with me twice now. So now now I mean he realizes he made a mistake. Yeah. Okay. FaceTimed him every day. Sponcy apologize. You are missing out.
SPEAKER_01Well, still bring it up here in the friends, yeah. Of course, of course. Yeah, a little toxic. That's the Mexican way, yeah. It's like he keeps me around because I'm a little toxic. He's like, Yeah, I gotta hear it 20 times before it goes away.
SPEAKER_00That's the role.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Pretty much. Yeah, and I think just uh I think just um yeah, focusing on just trying to keep uh being financially responsible. I just bought a house the other day. Uh not here in Vegas, but my heart almost got broke. My heart almost gone.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, you're both doing this in a public team? Yeah, are you doing it so I don't call the seat? Are you trying to make this go tricky? But it's like, okay, microphone's gone. Cut the tick, cut the tick. This is over.
SPEAKER_01Wrap it up on that. Yeah. Uh okay, we're gonna have to have another one. We're gonna ask him another question.
SPEAKER_03George Hernan is guys are looking for photos, videos, Any German. Thanks for bringing on Brother Ruby.