Invest Like a Boss

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182: I Have $X Amount, Where Do I Invest it? A 101 Investing Refresher Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Johnny and Sam take it back to ILAB basics with a 101 how-to on where to invest your money at various dollar amounts. A refresher and update for everyone out there who is looking for places to grow their hard earned money.

Listen to ILAB 182 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – South Carolina/ IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice Beach / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Fundrise
Fundrise makes investing in private real estate as easy as investing in stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Get started in just a few minutes at Fundrise
Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

05:30 – How much money do you have in an emergency fund?
09:26 – Take it out of your free money, Company Matched 401K
14:17 – Manage your debt
17:35 – Individual Non-Taxable Account
28:22 – Looking back at your company and your employer
29:52 – It’s now time to start Investing
37:14 – Do what’s smart, stick to the script
40:00 – Look at diversification

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

181: Alternative Food Investing with Very Good Foods CEO Mitchell Scott May 27, 2021

Show notes

Our mission is lofty, badass but beautifully simple:

Get millions to rethink their food choices while helping them do the world a world of good.

By offering plant-based food options so delicious and nutritious, we’re helping this kind of diet become the norm.

When you have a simple goal, it’s hard to mess it up: create damn good food, and well, keep it simple.

Unlike most plant-based alternatives out there, we don’t overcomplicate things. We go hard on taste, texture, protein and then call it a day. In return, you get all the benefits you had before, plus the extra feels of doing a s****tload of good for yourself, your planet and your furry friends. No brainer or what?

Plant-fuelled veteran or plant-curious rookie—it doesn’t matter. You’ll find our products put the fun back in functional, as we never compromise on taste or nutrition. And that goes for feeding fussy families or fuelling fitness-freaks. Geez, that’s a load of F’s! So, if you replace an animal-derived product with one of ours, you’d better be getting all the nutrients and the satisfaction from it. Otherwise, what’s the point, right?

Our method relies on complex scientific algorithms… said no one ever at Very Good Food Co. Yup, we do things a little differently. And that comes down to real people trusting their taste buds, Buds. Rather than petri-dish processes. In fact, our roots as a restaurant mean we’re foodies at heart. So you’ll find our R&D team mostly in test kitchens, finding creative and innovative ways to make the healthiest food possible, while challenging our out-dated reliance on animal products once and for all.

Very Good Food Company is traded on the Canadian Stock Exchange (ticker: VERY) & in the United States on the OTCQB market (ticker: VRYYF)

Listen to ILAB 181 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – South Carolina/ IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice Beach / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

04:45 – What got you interested in alternative foods?
08:07 – Did this start as a side hustle or did you think this had real potential?
08:53 – Can you tell us about your experience with crowdfunding?
11:36 – How did “Dragon’s Den” (Canadian Version of Shark Tank) help with the business?
14:28 – Can you speak to why you use beans as your base ingredient for most of your products?
16:43 – Where do you source the ingredients for your products?
17:28 – Tell us about the expansion to dairy alternative products
18:56 – Tell us about going public in the canadian stock exchange and on the OTC market at such an early stage.
23:06 – How will you be distributing all of this new product you will create?
24:35 – What can you tell us about the new distribution deal?
26:12 – Is your focus in the future on retail?
27:28 – Have you partnered with any restaurants or chains?
28:13 – Where do you see the Very Good Food Company in the future?
29:31 – What do you think about the long term future of the industry?
31:02 – What do you think about the difference in food standards between Canada, the US and other countries?
33:10 – How do you try to encourage people to try a plant based diet?
34:42 – Even though you are currently operating at a loss, do you have a projection of when you will see profitability?
36:32 – Sam and Derek recap

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

179: 8 Things Sam Marks Has Learned from Startup Investing May 04, 2021

Show notes

Sam goes over the top 8 things he has learned from investing in startups. Sam has invested in 9 startups in the last 8 years and has seen 3 exits and/or partial exits in the last six months. He'll go over the process of investing in a startup, what to look for and what to avoid as well.

Listen to ILAB 179 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – South Carolina/ IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice Beach / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Fundrise
Fundrise makes investing in private real estate as easy as investing in stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Get Started in just a few minutes.
Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

06:04 – What do you look for in a start-up?
08:52 – Is it more important to have the management in place than what the company actually is involved in?
12:23 – Is international diversification important in your selection?
13:39 – How do you determine how much you are willing to invest?
14:28 – Are the Start-ups similar to how “Shark-Tank” portrays?
19:06 – #1: Companies take a long time to build and exit
22:05 – #2: Start-ups require more money, that initial investment is not the last investment.
26:15 – #3: Expect big dilution
32:52 – #4: Founder issues are common protect yourself against it
38:48 – #5: Cap tables becomes big issues for mediocre companies
45:10 – #6: Raising money is not the goal, creating value is
47:56 – #7: Valuation isn't important necessarily, what's more important is your entry point and exit point.
53:55 – #8: Nothing is a sure thing until the money is in your bank account
59:09 – What advice would you give to a beginner getting into a start-up?
63:25 – About how long is expected for the second round of investment?
65:16 – What should you look for in an attorney to look over the investment paperwork?
66:41 – What other ways can you be valuable to the company?

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

178: RAD Diversified REIT President/CEO Dutch Mendenhall Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

Dutch Mendenhall is a loving father and husband. He currently runs 3 real estate investment funds. He creates positive returns every year for his investors. Dutch is a gifted visionary who has very different beliefs than the average fund manager/leader. He has made his investors millions of dollars and in real estate circles is thought of as a step ahead, a step above, and a step beyond what others are doing.

He believes in taking care of people first: investors, the team of people that drive the funds, vendors, contractors, tenants, and many more. The constant is "Creating Consistent Goodwill for the Business."

His decade of experience of investing is coupled with a decade of consulting real estate companies. Dutch's experience includes residential, commercial-assets, low- income housing, luxury-housing, assisted-living, self-storage and apartments.

RAD Diversified has developed a proven, reliable system for investing in residential & multi-family properties in key real estate markets across the U.S. They offer investment partners the opportunity to invest in cash-flowing properties with substantial value-add opportunities.

RAD Diversified Specializing in Tax Lien & Tax Deed Investing, RAD Diversified made a 36.7% annualized return in 2020 and has cleared 33.514% in the past 12 months. RAD Diversified also safeguards your investment by offering a 5% bottom-line guarantee.

Listen to ILAB 178 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice Beach / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

RAD Diversified
Invest Like a Boss listeners can skip the waitlist and invest with RAD Diversified immediately when you use our link!
Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

03:57 – How did you get into real estate investing?
09:15 – How has the industry changed during the Covid-19 pandemic and how have you adapted?
12:13 – What is the advantage of being versed in real estate?
17:23 – What are the advantages of a tax property sale?
21:47 – Do you need to be an accredited investor to invest with you?
23:21 – Do you have international investors as well?
25:32 – What is the minimum investment to get started and how are payouts done?
29:55 – Is there a fixed investment term or any fees for terminating early?
32:04 – Does the investor choose where they wish to invest in?
33:45 – What happens if the offering is fully funded?
35:12 – Can you explain the Covid-19 amendment?
39:50 – Are there any fees the investors should be aware of?
40:28 – What do you provide as it relates to taxes?
41:26 – How have you had such a profitable time during the covid-19 pandemic?
56:24 – Johnny and Derek review

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

177: Frank Song - From Sleeping in Walmart to 8 Figures Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Frank Song is currently managing $20 million in committed capital to pursue buyouts of, partnerships with, and/or building highly profitable businesses in unsexy markets. Frank increases enterprise value by implementing large, sustainable competitive advantages into the businesses, such as: increasing operating sophistication, pursuing strategic acquisitions or partnerships to create a national oligopoly or local/regional monopoly dynamic, implementing technology advantages, and increasing performance marketing returns.

Additionally, Frank currently works as a confidential advisor to business with at least $10mm in revenue and politicians to advise on how to implement an art of war campaign in their markets or campaigns to defeat competitors who are larger or better resourced.

Previously, Frank worked at Accel-KKR, one of the top private equity funds (based on returns), where we helped manage the $4.0 billion fund by completing buyouts and growth equity investments of $20mm - $1bn technology companies.

He has contributed capital to:

HighJump (sold for $750 mm)

Zinc Ahead (sold for $130 million)

PageUp (sold – amount undisclosed)

Listen to ILAB 177 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Los Angeles / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Indeed

Receive a free $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job post at Indeed

Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

Find Frank Song on Instagram: @Franksong
Forbes article on Frank Song
www.franksong.com

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

11:19 – Why did you choose to live in the suburbs of Ukraine?
13:46 – Tell us a little about your story from how you grew up to now?
15:30 – Explain the “I slept in a Walmart” time of your life
17:50 – How did you make it to Ukraine?
19:37 – How did you get started in investing?
26:12 – What do you traditionally invest in?
29:19 – What are some of the businesses you have invested in?
34:50 – How do you manage all of the businesses?
36:43 – Can you talk about your recent business trip to Dubai?
37:49 – What is your general philosophy on where to invest?
46:50 – Johnny and Derek review

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

176: Johnny FD, Millionaire & Q1 2021 Update Preview Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

Johnny is officially a millionaire! Johnny and Sam discuss the journey from starting ILAB in 2015 to growing his portfolio to the million dollar mark today. Patreon members get access to the full show and can watch the full breakdown of all assets in Sam & Johnny's portfolio and Q1 2021 performance when you sign up at https://bit.ly/ILABPatreon.

Listen to ILAB 176 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Invest Like a Boss Patreon

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

02:44 – "Thanks Johnny; Mr.Millionaire FD..." - Sam Marks
04:30 – "I didn't become a millionaire to have to worry about what time it was when I go surfing" - Johnny FD
07:56 – "Whatever you can do to maximise your piece of mind is the path" - Sam Marks
10:15 – Johnny talks about why he wants residency in Ukraine
13:27 – Johnny and Sam reminisce when they started the podcast
15:57 – "I'll rather be the tortoise, slow and steady" - Johnny FD

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

175: Sam’s Top 10 Biggest Investment Mistakes Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

Sam and Derek review some of Sam’s biggest investment mistakes and help you learn from his mistakes.

Listen to ILAB 175 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Indeed

Get indeed's best offer anywhere for a $75 credit to boost your job post when you visit indeed.com/ILAB

Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

06:06 – #10. 32 bitcoin lost in Mt. Gox
10:37 – #9. Fazzle mega search engine
15:52 – #8. 101 and Mint Lounge, Tallahassee
21:36 – #7 Buying “the stock tip” from unqualified people
26:32 – #6 Skywolf
32:06 – #5 Storing Gold in a Lock Box in China
37:17 – #4 Buying RMB currency
39:50 – #3 Don’t have too much trust in your financial advisor
47:29 – #2 Stock options
54:18 – #1 Selling at the bottom of the ‘08 crisis

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

174: Buying Your Own Private Island with Farhad Vladi Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

Few people can withstand the longing for their own private piece of land in the midst of vast oceans or an idyllic lake, far from the rush and confinement of the rest of the world. Even though it is of manageable size an island feels infinite - the water creates a natural boundary that provides island dwellers with a freedom not found in any piece of real estate on the mainland.

Yet it is the mainland that gives islands their special character. The luxury of a private island consists of the freedom to escape into solitude and to return from it at any time - therefore, even the smallest island with a simple log cabin is of immense value to its owner.

lt is a great and very moving privilege to observe the passing of the season on one's own island. Even after spending many years on their islands, many island owners have described to me how overwhelmed they felt by the beauty and power of nature - and the composure they have learned from it: on an island, everything takes place at nature's own slow pace. Those who respect this pace are richly awarded as they contribute to the maintenance of their island universe. Islands have cast their spell on me in my childhood, a spell that has not been broken to this day. On March 14, 1971 I sold my first island: Cousine Island in the Seychelles. To this date, the number of islands I have sold has reached 2,000. During these four decades, I had the opportunity to meet island owners with the most varying personalities. Regardless of their profession or social status, they all have one thing in common - they are all extreme individualists with great perseverance when it comes to carrying out their personal endeavours.

Today’s island owners do not have to struggle with infrastructure issues anymore. State-of-the-art systems to generate electricity and to purify water, the most comfortable ready-built houses, good technical tools for setting up road systems, as well as electronic communicating facilitate the development of the new isle. Once this whole process is completed, the owner usually has built up strong emotional ties to the land.

This remains today's actual major obstacle on the way to purchasing an island - islands are rare, regardless of their location in a lake, a river or the sea.

An island that has been carefully and lovingly reclaimed often feels to its owner like part of the family. Parting company with it is accordingly extremely difficult. This phenomenon can be described in other words: an island does not have a house number. An island has a soul.

Listen to ILAB 174 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Masterworks
Use code ILAB at signup on Masterworks.io and skip the 20,000 person waiting list to start investing in art immediately
Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

Vladi

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

07:26 – Can you tell us the story on the first island you bought?
09:39 – Where have you sold most of the islands?
13:00 – Do people approach you to purchase islands?
14:55 – Can you mention some of the celebrities you have as clients?
18:02 – What is the range of cost for these private islands?
19:48 – Are there smaller islands in Spain and Portugal?
20:25 – Are the islands undeveloped, or developed as it pertains to infrastructure?
22:38 – Do people buy islands and develop them for resale?
24:25 – What is the pitch for selling the island?
25:26 – What are some of the most expensive islands you have sold?
27:11 – How can someone learn more about buying an island?
29:12 – How do you acquire the islands for sale?
32:03 – Sam & Johnny recap

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

173: International Allocation (Index Funds 202) Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

Sam and Johnny do a follow up to the popular Index Funds 101 episode (Please link this) and expand the topic to international allocation into index funds.

Listen to ILAB 173 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Where we are:

Johnny FD – Sri Lanka / IG @johnnyfdk
Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks
Derek Spartz - Venice / IG @DerekRadio

Sponsor:

Indeed
Receive a free $75 credit and receive an instant short list of candidates for your job post when you visit Indeed.com
Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon

Discussed:

VXUS: Total International Stock = 23% of my current. Aiming for 35%

Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links:

ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000)
Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK)
Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free
Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free
PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan

*Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally.

Time Stamps:

06:50 – Why even bother investing worldwide?
10:39 – Johnny’s breakdown of his index funds
12:35 – Discussion on TenCents multinational
16:29 – Do you know what Taiwan Semiconductor makes?
20:09 – Listing some of the Top 10 international investments?
22:01 – The story of Toyota and Lexus
26:24 – Japanese stock market index
34:13 – All Seasons Portfolio breakdown
39:51 – VanGuard portfolio watch asset allocation backtesting risk-return allocation analysis
42:57 – What to do when you don’t have direct access to international index funds?
46:19 – Management fees with financial advisor

If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!

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