In this episode, I sit down with Jonas Medrano, a powerhouse of discipline and drive who took the principles he learned from sports and fitness and applied them masterfully to real estate investing. From wholesaling his first property to scaling a $12 million business from his dining room table, Jonas’ story is not just about financial success, it’s about the mindset and grit it takes to get there.

We dig into how Jonas adopted the Profit First philosophy early in his business and how that has fueled his high-profit margins and lean operations. He also opens up about his new passion for coaching and the exact type of driven individuals he’s looking to mentor. If you’re looking for inspiration and actionable insights from someone who’s done the work and built a thriving real estate business from the ground up, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights

[0:00] – Introduction

[1:01] – The “Profit First” moment that brought Jonas and I together

[2:03] – Jonas lands a $40K wholesale deal right out of the gate

[3:44] – Self-imposed “jail” of learning 16 hours a day to master wholesaling

[4:48] – Securing his first deal just one month into wholesaling

[6:07] – Discipline rooted in sports and inspired by Kobe Bryant

[9:35] – How Jonas turned wholesaling into a $12M-a-year business

[10:56] – Scaling with low overhead, lean team, and high margins

[11:28] – Profit First mindset from day one, and saving $100K before hiring

[13:06] – Transitioning from wholesaling to fix-and-flip and holding properties

[14:25] – $60K average wholesale fees and $150K minimum on flips

[15:30] – Launching a coaching program focused on driven real estate newcomers

[20:09] – Jonas’ full involvement and personal access in his coaching model

[22:02] – Long-term vision: $1B real estate portfolio and $1M monthly passive income

[24:44] – Early signs of discipline, from flipping sneakers to excelling in school

5 Key Takeaways

1. Discipline is everything – Jonas credits his fitness and sports background for building the mental toughness needed to thrive in business.
2. Start lean, grow smart – He focused on maximizing profit and minimizing expenses, only hiring after saving his first $100K.
3. Education is the edge – Jonas consumed books, podcasts, and resources relentlessly to master his craft before making his first deal.
4. Profit First works – The financial structure and clarity from Profit First helped him build and scale a highly profitable operation.
5. Giving back creates fulfillment – Now Jonas is focused on coaching others and sharing the same tools and mindset that brought him success.

Links & Resources

• Follow Jonas Medrano on Instagram: @jonasmedrano
• Learn more about the Profit First system: simplecfo.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate, review, and share it with someone who would benefit from hearing Jonas’ inspiring journey. And don’t forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pardo, a self-storage magnate who transitioned from a thriving wholesaling and house-flipping career to building wealth through self-storage facilities. Alex shares his raw and honest story of realizing he’d built a stressful business that left him feeling stuck, and how he used Profit First principles to regain control of his finances and peace of mind — both in business and at home with his wife.

We unpack what it really takes to pivot into self-storage, why he believes it’s one of the most overlooked but recession-resistant assets available to investors, and how Profit First helped him save aggressively for big capital expenses. Alex also discusses who should consider investing in storage, what makes a deal profitable, and how adopting a disciplined money system strengthened his marriage and overall life satisfaction.

Timeline Summary:

[0:00] – Welcoming Alex and swapping Monopoly stories that reveal his competitive edge.

[1:59] – Alex’s first exposure to Profit First through Mike Michalowicz’s books and why it felt like a lightbulb moment.

[5:00] – How implementing Profit First let Alex save for a $100K+ CapEx budget, giving him confidence to move forward with major facility improvements.

[8:00] – How Alex and his wife adopted Profit First at home with dedicated accounts for vacations, Christmas, and giving — creating harmony in their marriage.

[12:52] – What led Alex to ask himself the crucial question that sparked his exit from the wholesaling rat race.

[14:35] – Why he calls scaling his wholesaling business “irresponsible growth” and how his experience taught him to value peace over profit.

[16:02] – His initial fears about moving into self-storage, and the surprising ways his wholesaling skills carried over perfectly.

[18:18] – A look back at whether he regrets leaving wholesaling given the hot post-Covid market, and why he doesn’t.

[21:04] – The powerful “play the movie forward” exercise Alex uses to make big decisions with intention.

[23:06] – His success story of acquiring, stabilizing, and selling a 638-unit storage portfolio — and why he only needed 1-3 good deals per year to move the needle.

[25:23] – Why self-storage can be semi-passive after stabilization, and how Alex spends just 1-2 hours a week managing hundreds of units.

[27:04] – Breaking down the three phases of acquiring a storage facility: marketing and analysis, financing and due diligence, and maximizing operations.

[29:03] – Why self-storage is recession-resistant: the unique psychology of people downsizing but unwilling to part with their stuff.

[32:05] – The differences in operating expense ratios between storage (30-40%) and multifamily (45-55%) — and why this margin creates more breathing room.

Key Takeaways:

1. Asking yourself tough questions — like whether you’d want to be doing the same thing a year from now — can change your entire trajectory.
2. Profit First isn’t just for business; applying its principles at home can bring couples closer and build long-term stability.
3. Your existing real estate skills may translate seamlessly into self-storage — don’t underestimate how much you already know.
4. Location and demographics are critical; a rough market can mean higher break-ins and delinquencies, even in storage.
5. Storage can provide high cash flow with lower management demands than single-family or multifamily rentals — making it ideal for those seeking freedom.

Links & Resources

• Learn more about self-storage investing and get free training from Alex at https://storagewins.com
• If you want to keep more of what you make with Profit First, visit https://simplecfo.com

What if you could stop chasing deals and start collecting payments like a bank? In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Patrick Franz, founder of Note Investor University, to explore the power and potential of note investing—an often-overlooked strategy that’s changing the game for savvy real estate investors. Patrick pulls back the curtain on how owning mortgage notes can create more security, scalability, and true passive income than traditional rentals or flips.

Whether you’re tired of toilets, tenants, and turnover or just looking for smarter ways to grow your portfolio, this episode is packed with insight. We talk about the difference between owning real estate and owning the paper behind it, how to find and evaluate notes, and how you can leverage private capital to build a cash-flowing note portfolio—even if you’re brand new to the space.

Timeline Summary

[1:18] - Patrick Franz explains what note investing is and why most real estate investors haven’t explored it

[2:56] - Key differences between real estate investing and buying promissory notes

[5:03] - A side-by-side comparison of the landlord model versus the lender model

[10:06] - How buying notes at a discount creates instant equity and above-market returns

[13:51] - Understanding the secondary mortgage market and how to legally step into the bank’s shoes

[17:08] - Where to find notes and why sourcing them isn’t the hardest part

[20:03] - Why notes are safer and easier to pitch to private lenders than rental properties

[22:21] - The magic of amortization and why it benefits note holders over time

[24:28] - How third-party servicers manage the process and make it truly passive

[27:12] - How to work with Patrick and what Note Investor University offers

[29:35] - Real success stories and what’s possible within just 12 months of learning and applying note investing strategies

Key Takeaways

1.You don’t have to own the property to profit from real estate – owning the debt can be even more powerful.

2.Note investing offers instant equity and stable, predictable cash flow, often with double-digit returns.

3.Notes are easier to pitch to private lenders because they are safer, backed by real estate, and not subject to market fluctuations.

4.You can scale your portfolio using OPM (other people’s money) once you master the process and build your expertise.

5.Financial freedom is achievable within 36 months with the right note investing strategy and education.

Links & Resources

•Schedule a call with Patrick: calendly.com/thenotementor

•Learn more about Simple CFO: https://simplecfo.com

•Contact David Richter and Simple CFO: https://rei.simplecfo.com/scheduleacall

•More about David Richter: https://join.simplecfo.com/david

•Want David on your podcast? Contact us at: john@simplecfo.com

•Browse notes: paperstac.com

•Financial clarity and coaching: simplecfo.com

If this episode opened your eyes to a smarter, more secure way to invest in real estate, follow, rate, and review the Profit First for ROI podcast. And don’t forget to share it with a friend who needs to hear this. Let’s help more investors make profit a habit in their business.