Masters of Moments

• Inside America's Most Generous Real Estate Company - Micah Lacher - Principal @ Anchor Investments

  In this episode of Masters of Moments, host Jake Wurzak sits down with Micah Lacher, founder of Anchor Investments, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about real estate, entrepreneurship, and the power of second chances. From growing up in a struggling household in North Memphis to building a respected investment and development firm in Nashville, Micah’s story is both gritty and inspiring. They begin with Micah’s early exposure to real estate, sparked by a life-changing move that took his family from an unsafe neighborhood to one of the best public school districts in Memphis—secured through an unlikely deal involving two Delta Airlines plane tickets. That experience set the tone for a life shaped by faith, hustle, and resilience. Throughout the episode, Micah shares how he transitioned from a brokerage role at Cushman & Wakefield into real estate development, thanks to the mentorship of Bob Tull, a former Walmart developer. He recounts launching Anchor in the depths of the 2009 financial crisis, raising capital deal-by-deal to purchase distressed assets when few others had the conviction to buy. They also discuss: - The high-stakes risk of personal guarantees during the Great Financial Crisis   - How Micah structured deals, underwrote for worst-case scenarios, and still found upside   - The transition from broker to principal and the influence of early mentors   - Raising children without entitlement while building wealth   - Using his business as a platform for purpose and service to the community   Micah’s outlook is rooted in gratitude and long-term thinking, with a focus on character, consistency, and building something that matters. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the intersection of values, leadership, and real estate. Links: Micah on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-lacher-1366151/ Anchor Investments - https://www.anchorinv.com/ Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:14) - Micah’s upbringing (00:08:03) - Early career (00:13:19) - Mentors, marriage, and breaking phone addiction (00:19:17) - The fear of raising entitled children (00:22:16) - Learning the brokerage game (00:30:14) - Transitioning from broker to principal (00:39:24) - Developing “Walmart shadows” and experiencing the GFC (00:45:06) - Raising capital in 2009 (00:51:51) - Thoughts on RTO (00:53:42) - How do you think about your business today, given how you started? (00:57:30) - Using the business to effect change (01:10:37) - Establishing a competitive edge (01:13:08) - Developing hotels in Nashville - and giving away the profits (01:23:11) - The Nashville market (01:27:34) - What’s your favorite hotel?

  --------  

  1:29:19
• Building Service Businesses with an NFL Mindset - Jesse Rack - CEO of Rack Electric

  In this episode of Masters of Moments, host Jake Wurzak sits down with Jesse Rack, founder and CEO of Rack Electric, to unpack one of the most impressive and unconventional entrepreneurial stories in the home services industry. Jesse shares his journey from Queens, New York, where he played college football and briefly pursued the NFL, to running a fast-growing business empire focused on electrical work, energy, and infrastructure across Florida. After stepping away from coaching football and returning to Florida to support his family, Jesse took over his father's small electrical business with a bold vision: to build a brand, not just a company. What started with one truck and a handful of employees is now a multi-vertical operation with over 200 employees, five divisions, and specialties that include generators, propane delivery, solar installations, and EV charging infrastructure. Jesse breaks down how he's scaled the company by hiring for attitude, investing in operational systems, and acquiring other trades businesses through strategic M&A. This episode covers: - Jesse’s sports background and how it shaped his leadership style   - Building Rack Electric from a local business into a state-wide brand   - Creating a training pipeline for tradespeople and launching in-house licensing programs   - How to buy, turn around, and integrate struggling home service companies   - Why customer experience and honest communication are non-negotiables   - The power of handwritten letters in sourcing acquisition opportunities   - Lessons in grit, recruiting, and the value of walking the job site   If you're interested in trades entrepreneurship, home services, or building a real business with staying power, Jesse’s story is as real and raw as it gets. Links: Rack Electric - https://www.rackelectric.com/ Jesse on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-rack-488185171/ Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:02) - Jesse’s background (00:06:16) - The importance of trades and education (00:08:56) - Challenges and growth in the electrical business (00:16:35) - Marketing and expansion strategies (00:20:33) - Current state of Rack Electric (00:25:54) - Service excellence and customer experience (00:31:41) - Leadership and team building (00:44:08) - Navigating private equity and future goals (00:45:15) - Importance of people and purpose (00:47:44) - Negotiating debt and bulk buying (00:50:24) - Asset purchase strategy (00:56:21) - Building relationships and recruiting (00:59:19) - HVAC business expansion (01:12:27) - Future goals and vision (01:16:55) - Favorite hotel experience (01:21:04) - Closing remarks

  --------  

  1:21:45
• Coaching Call - How to Raise Capital

  In this special “Coaching Call” Jake Wurzak goes solo to share everything he’s learned from over a decade of raising capital in real estate. Drawing on personal experience—from his first $7 million deal with no clear path to funding, to building DoveHill into a hospitality investment platform—Jake walks through the real, unfiltered playbook for getting deals financed. This episode is packed with insights on how to approach high-net-worth individuals, build trust with investors, and create compelling deal collateral that actually converts. Jake also breaks down how he structures investor communications, designs pitch decks and memos, leverages tools like Juniper Square, and uses short personalized videos to bring deals to life. It’s the same method he’s using today to raise preferred equity for a current hotel redevelopment project in Savannah, Georgia. Key lessons include: - Why raising money for a single deal is easier than launching a fund - The importance of being honest, conservative, and clear with investors - How to use storytelling, design, and delivery to drive commitments - Tips for building investor databases, managing follow-ups, and closing deals - Real talk on sharing upside, walking away from bad capital, and learning through failure Whether you’re about to raise your first $1 million or scaling to institutional capital, this behind-the-scenes coaching call gives you a candid, detailed roadmap for how to actually get it done. Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:38) - More on DoveHill (00:05:05) - Jake’s First Deal and Lessons Learned (00:08:57) - Raising Capital: Strategies and Tips (00:14:44) - Creating Effective Investment Memos (00:16:59) - Designing Investment Decks (00:35:26) - Engaging Investors with Video Pitches (00:40:21) - Investor Intake Process (00:44:01) - Negotiation Tips (00:45:09) - Q&A: Meeting Potential Investors (00:48:59) - Q&A: Handling Design and Pre-Development Costs (00:53:06) - Q&A: Capital Structure and Investor Profiles (00:56:22) - Q&A: Overcoming Appraisal Challenges (00:59:28) - Q&A: Partnering in New Markets (01:02:06) - Q&A: Preferred Equity and Fund Structures (01:17:58) - Q&A: Subscription Process and Investor Relations (01:22:27) - Unexpected Investor Stories

  --------  

  1:28:10
• Building a $12 Billion+ Real Estate Empire - Patrick Carroll - Founder and CEO of CARROLL

  Patrick Carroll is the founder and CEO of CARROLL, a prominent real estate investment company. From a young age, Patrick Carroll envisioned building a real estate company from the ground up. The ambitious entrepreneur leveraged what was initially a multi-family and retail assets company into a leading real estate empire.  As CEO, Patrick helps define and implement strategic plans designed to further expand all facets under the CARROLL portfolio. As a disciplined investor, Patrick carefully balances acquisitions and dispositions, and has led to $12.1 B in acquistions and $8.8 B in dispositions of multifamily real estate producing an average gross IRR of 29%. Founded in 2004, CARROLL marked the beginning of Patrick’s real estate investment and development career. Patrick’s early success in the industry came from residential investments and developmental projects across the Southeast, which, in turn, produced the opportunity to develop retail centers, mixed-use properties, and student housing. In 2009, Patrick acquired three property management companies, creating the large-scale infrastructure for what CARROLL is today. Compounding on his experience with investment, property management, development, and construction, Patrick has taken a modest initial investment and cultivated that into a 30,000-unit portfolio. Links: Patrick Carroll - https://mpatrickcarroll.com/ Patrick on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/patrickcarroll/ Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro   (00:01:11) - Patrick’s Transition from House-Flipping to Multifamily   (00:13:02) - What Was Your Deal Criteria Early On?   (00:18:45) - How Were You Finding Deals?   (00:22:38) - How Did You Scale?   (00:31:18) - Building a Profitable Management Company   (00:33:21) - Raising Capital & Getting Deals Done   (00:49:14) - The Buy-Fix-Sell Strategy   (01:06:57) - Pausing Deals Post-COVID   (01:09:46) - Selling the Business   (01:18:23) - Thoughts on the Market Today   (01:26:22) - Mental Health   (01:31:49) - What’s Your Favorite Hotel? This episode originally aired on November 6th, 2024

  --------  

  1:35:34
• Inside The Triple Net Lease Kingdom - Chris Hatch - Principal at Forza Commercial

  In this episode of Masters of Moments, I sit down with Chris Hatch, Principal at Forza Commercial, to break down the high-stakes world of retail real estate development. Chris grew up in a real estate family, learning the business from the ground up, and those early lessons shaped how he approaches site selection, deal structuring, and scaling development projects today. We dive into: How to identify and secure top-tier retail sites The evolution of drive-thru concepts and why they’re dominating retail How tenant demand shapes development strategy The challenges of managing multiple projects at once Why triple-net leases are often called ‘mailbox money’ and how investors think about them Chris also shares behind-the-scenes stories from working with national tenants like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Raising Cane’s, explaining what makes a high-performing retail site and how shifting consumer trends are influencing real estate decisions. If you're interested in commercial real estate, retail development, or the business of site selection, this episode is packed with insights from someone who’s been in the trenches and built a highly successful development business. Connect & Invest with Jake: Follow Jake on X: https://x.com/JWurzak 1 on 1 coaching with Jake: https://www.jakewurzak.com/coaching Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8Pwo Links: Links: Chris on X - https://x.com/chriswhatch The Dirt Dog Podcast on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0EyUYpLUMbJKqEzprNuLPM?si=e48d7ffc5ddb48a0 Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:56) - Chris’ Background and Career (00:05:36) - The Magic of Drive-Thrus (00:07:03) - Lessons from Early Real Estate Experiences (00:09:41) - Navigating the Real Estate Market (00:11:04) - The Evolution of Site Selection (00:13:35) - Building a Real Estate Portfolio (00:17:05) - Challenges and Strategies in Real Estate Development (00:32:44) - The Appeal of Triple Net Leases (00:40:53) - Retail Trends and Market Shifts (00:41:34) - Diversification in Retail Investments (00:43:38) - The Future of Gas Stations (00:45:07) - Impact of Cloud Kitchens (00:46:54) - Cap Rates and Popular Retail Tenants (00:50:36) - Challenges in Retail Development (00:58:38) - Managing Multiple Development Projects (01:15:50) - Favorite Hotels and Closing Thoughts

  --------  

  1:17:26

More Business podcasts

Trending Business podcasts

About Masters of Moments