Common Denominator with Moshe Popack

Hosted by Moshe Popack

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Oct 2026

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About the show

What values truly drive meaningful success—in business, leadership, and life? Common Denominator with Moshe Popack dives deep into the mindset, habits, and principles that connect us all. Each week, Moshe sits down with bold thinkers, entrepreneurs, and everyday heroes to share real stories and actionable insights that inspire personal growth, mental wellness, and purpose-driven success.

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October 5, 202637 min

The Mindset That Helped Rod Khleif Rebuild After Losing $50 Million

Rod Khleif built an enormous real estate portfolio, owned hundreds of rental homes and thousands of apartment units, and watched his net worth grow by $17 million in a single year. Then 2008 happened and he says he lost roughly $50 million. In this episode, I sit down with Rod to talk about what actually went wrong, the mistakes he made managing hundreds of single-family rentals, and the lessons that changed the way he thinks about multifamily real estate, leverage, risk, and failure. Rod shares how he rebuilt after losing nearly everything, why he believes mindset and psychology play such an important role in success, and the steps he used to start moving forward again. We also talk about today’s real estate market, including higher interest rates, distressed multifamily operators, falling rents in some markets, senior housing opportunities, and why Rod believes investors need to be more conservative with their underwriting. What I appreciated most about this conversation is that Rod doesn’t pretend experienced investors are immune to mistakes. Even after decades in real estate, he shares a current multifamily investment that is struggling and what he’s doing about it. Timestamps 00:00 Rod Khleif’s Immigrant Story 01:16 How Rod Discovered Real Estate 02:35 Making $100K at 21 03:20 Losing $50 Million in 2008 04:55 Why Your Environment Matters 06:06 Mindset, Goals and Visualization 08:34 Why Focus Is a Competitive Advantage 10:21 Buying His First Rental Properties 12:16 How 800 Houses Helped Wipe Him Out 14:45 Why Rod Chose Multifamily 15:37 Turning Failure Into a “Seminar” 17:16 How He Rebuilt After Losing Everything 21:06 Play to Your Strengths 22:20 Building a Real Estate Education Business 23:47 Dealing With Online Hate 24:20 Why Success Didn’t Make Him Happy 27:00 Achievement vs. Fulfillment 29:15 Rod’s Best Investment 30:27 Why Goal Setting Matters 32:15 Why Rod Prefers Multifamily 33:45 The Senior Housing Opportunity 36:24 Buying Senior Housing Below Replacement Cost 37:29 Why Rod Says Now Is the Time to Buy 37:30 The Multifamily Debt Problem 37:35 Rod’s Struggling 296-Unit Deal 37:50 What to Do When a Deal Goes Wrong 🌐 Follow Rod Khleif https://www.youtube.com/RodKhleif https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodkhleif https://www.instagram.com/rod_khleif/?hl=en 🔔 Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator 📧 Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ ➡️ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack #RodKhleif #RealEstateInvesting #Multifamily #RealEstate #MultifamilyInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #Investing #MoshePopack #CommonDenominator

September 23, 202622 min

Why Florida Insurance Is So Expensive And What’s Changing

Florida insurance has become one of the biggest conversations for property owners, homeowners, developers, and investors and understanding why prices move requires looking deeper than the premium on your policy. In this episode, I sit down with Brian and Paul Remer of Remer Insurance to talk about what’s happening inside Florida’s insurance market, from recent property insurance pricing changes to the role of carriers, brokers, and reinsurance companies. We talk about how the insurance supply chain actually works, why reinsurance can have such a significant impact on pricing, how hurricane risk affects the market, and why different types of coverage can move in completely different directions. We also explore emerging insurance risks around industries like cannabis and data centers, where a single failure can create enormous downstream liability. Beyond insurance, Brian and Paul share what they’ve learned working together as brothers in a family business approaching 50 years, including the values their father instilled in them about relationships, quality control, and never believing a job is beneath you. If you own real estate, operate a business, or simply want to better understand where your insurance premium actually goes, this conversation provides a look inside an industry most people only think about when something goes wrong. Timestamps 00:00 Working With Your Brother 02:24 Joining the Family Business 03:21 Building a Business Across Generations 05:39 Different Skills, One Family Business 06:59 Why Relationships Matter in Insurance 08:43 What’s Happening With Florida Insurance? 09:14 Why Insurance Prices Are Changing 11:11 How the Insurance Supply Chain Works 13:12 Florida’s Insurance Backstop 14:24 Are Florida Property Insurance Prices Coming Down? 16:10 How Reinsurance Affects Pricing 17:15 Insuring the Cannabis Industry 18:31 The Insurance Risk Behind Data Centers 20:10 The Most Unique Risks They Insure 21:17 The Hardest Moment in Their Family Business 22:00 Lessons From Their Father 22:05 How to Connect With Remer Insurance Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack #FloridaInsurance #PropertyInsurance #FloridaRealEstate

September 16, 202613 min

Miami Real Estate Strategy | Key Lessons & Trends for 2026

Florida has experienced extraordinary growth over the last several years. People moved here. Businesses moved here. Capital moved here. But success creates its own challenges. In this episode, I share my perspective on what Florida needs to think about as it enters its next chapter. The question isn’t simply how we keep growing—it’s how we grow well. Housing affordability, property insurance, infrastructure, development, and economic growth are all connected. If we want to continue attracting businesses and creating jobs, we also have to ask whether teachers, nurses, police officers, young professionals, and families can actually afford to live in the communities they help support. I also talk about why housing affordability is more complicated than simply saying rents should be cheaper, how the rising costs of land, construction, insurance, financing, and operations ultimately affect housing, and why infrastructure has to keep pace with development. I’m incredibly optimistic about Florida. But being optimistic doesn’t mean ignoring the challenges. We spent years asking how to get people and businesses to come here. It worked. Now the question is: how do we make sure they can stay? Timestamps: 00:10 Florida’s Next Chapter 01:05 How Do We Grow Well? 02:05 The Real Cost of Housing Affordability 03:25 Why Florida Insurance Matters 04:35 Housing Affects Everything 05:40 Growth Needs Infrastructure 06:35 How Florida Should Plan for Growth 07:20 What Happens If Growth Slows? 08:20 Planning for the Downside 09:25 Protecting Florida’s Entrepreneurial Environment 10:20 Growth and Quality of Life Are Connected 11:30 Florida’s Biggest Challenge 12:35 Can Florida Stay Affordable? Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/

September 9, 20269 min

They Lied to You About the Office Market

The pandemic fundamentally changed how people work, and some office buildings were hit hard. But in South Florida, we’re seeing a very different story depending on the property, location, quality, and economics of the deal.In this video, I share how I think about office real estate and why I never want a headline to make an investment decision for me. Two office buildings can be just a few miles apart and have completely different occupancy, rents, operating costs, and investment potential.I also talk about the flight to quality happening in commercial real estate, what I look for in properties that may need repositioning, and why contrarian investing doesn’t mean automatically betting against the crowd.Whether you’re evaluating office, multifamily, or another real estate investment, the same principle applies: look at the asset, the market, the price, the debt, and the numbers before you believe the narrative.Timestamps 00:10 Why Everyone Said Office Was Dead00:56 South Florida Is Telling a Different Story01:30 Office Wasn’t Dead, Certain Office Was02:05 Why You Can’t Invest Based on Headlines03:15 The Flight to Quality in Office Real Estate04:10 Finding Opportunity in Imperfect Buildings05:15 What Contrarian Investing Really Means06:15 Why South Florida Has Changed07:10 The Mistake of Assuming Growth Will Continue07:50 A Great Building Can Be a Bad Investment08:35 Look at the Numbers, Not the NarrativeLike this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcasthttps://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopackhttps://www.instagram.com/mpopackhttps://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack

September 2, 20265 min

How I Know If a Multifamily Deal Is Actually Worth Buying

If you put a multifamily deal in front of me today, I’m not going to start with the pool, the gym, or the lobby. I want to know who lives there, what they can actually afford, what they’re paying today, what else is being built nearby, and most importantly, what I’m paying for the property. There’s a tremendous amount of multifamily development happening across Miami and South Florida. I’m a big believer in this market, but being bullish on Miami doesn’t mean every apartment deal makes sense. In this video, I talk about some of the questions I ask when evaluating a multifamily investment, from local supply and tenant affordability to rents, competition, and purchase price. Demand for housing and demand for your specific apartment at your specific rent are two very different things. A great apartment building can be a bad buy, and an imperfect apartment building can be a great buy. The difference is usually in the numbers. Timestamps 00:55 How I Evaluate a Multifamily Deal 01:20 Good Building vs. Good Investment 01:35 Miami’s Multifamily Construction Boom 02:00 Why Not Every Miami Deal Makes Sense 02:35 Housing Demand vs. Your Demand 03:20 The $4,000 Rent Test 04:15 Where Good Underwriting Starts Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack

August 26, 202611 min

I Just Refinanced $30M in Miami | Here’s What It Taught Me

A few weeks ago, we closed a $30 million refinance on Park Towers, a 210-unit multifamily property in Miami that we’ve owned since 2012. We secured long-term, fixed-rate financing at 6.09% in a lending environment that many people still describe as difficult. But I think saying “banks aren’t lending” misses the bigger picture. Capital is available. The real questions are who can access it, which deals are getting financed, and whether the debt being used actually makes the investment stronger. In this video, I talk about how I approach leverage, interest rates, cash flow, refinancing risk, and margin for error when evaluating real estate investments. A great property can still become a bad investment if its capital structure can’t survive when rates rise, occupancy falls, insurance costs increase, or refinancing becomes harder. I also share my perspective on why investors shouldn’t depend on interest rates falling for a deal to work, how a more difficult financing environment can create better buying opportunities, and what more than a decade of owning and operating Park Towers has taught me about long-term value creation. The goal isn’t to predict every market cycle correctly. It’s to structure your investments so they can survive when one of your assumptions is wrong. Timestamps 00:10 The $30M Park Towers Refinance 01:03 Are Banks Actually Lending? 01:35 How Bad Debt Can Ruin a Good Deal 03:00 Why Leverage Works Both Ways 03:20 Can Your Investment Survive? 04:15 Why Spreadsheets Can Mislead Investors 05:51 Building for a Margin of Error 06:15 Why Easy Money Can Be Dangerous 06:40 How Difficult Markets Create Buying Opportunities 07:50 The Long Game Behind Park Towers 08:40 Why Durability Matters More Than Speed 09:10 Stop Waiting for Interest Rates to Fall 10:15 How to Survive Real Estate Cycles 10:55 Using Debt to Make Good Deals Stronger Subscribe to the Channel Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Moshe Popack https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack

August 22, 202646 min

What Is Your Soul Here to Do? | Rudy Rochman

Israeli activist and filmmaker Rudy Rochman joins Moshe Popack on Common Denominator for a wide-ranging conversation about Jewish identity, purpose, faith, communication, and the next chapter of Jewish history. Rudy explains why he prefers the word “activist” over “advocate,” arguing that meaningful change requires more than supporting a cause; it requires becoming an active participant in creating a new reality. He and Moshe explore how people can discover what they are here to do, why challenges can strengthen rather than derail a mission, and how conviction allows someone to continue even when they face criticism, division, or resistance. Rudy also shares his vision for reconnecting the dispersed tribes of Israel and explains why he believes the Jewish people cannot fulfill their collective purpose without recovering a shared mission. Timestamps 2:06 Welcome 2:10 Activist vs. advocate: what's the real difference 3:23 The individual and collective mission of the Jewish people 5:32 What people get most wrong about him 8:02 Growing up between France, Israel, and Miami 11:39 Meaning, purpose, and the Kabbalah of chosen challenges 13:58 Why people quit their mission, and how to keep going 16:30 The neo-Nazi bus driver story that changed his life 20:09 Reacting vs. observing: Moshe on Viktor Frankl 21:14 How to actually communicate with people who disagree with you 24:38 Kidnapped for three weeks filming the lost tribes of Israel in Nigeria 31:25 Facing captivity and never losing faith he'd make it out 33:53 Moshe on faith, his 11 kids, and Jensen Huang on suffering 35:17 What reuniting the tribes of Israel could look like in 20 years 38:02 Oneness, and Moshe's grandfather's deathbed lesson 41:57 The common denominator of people who achieve great things 44:49 Why the most public people are often the most introverted 45:56 Rapid fire round 46:58 The biggest obstacle to reuniting the tribes of Israel Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack Follow Rudy Rochman https://www.instagram.com/rudy_israel/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@rudyrochman https://www.youtube.com/rudyrochman

August 5, 20268 min

The AI Bubble Nobody Wants to Talk About

AI is everywhere right now, in our news feeds, our workplaces, and increasingly, our investment portfolios. But a real debate has started among investors and analysts, and it's not about whether AI is real. It's about whether the economics behind it are as strong as everyone believes. In this episode, I break down the circular nature of AI investment, where the same companies funding AI startups are also the ones profiting from their cloud spending, and why that arrangement raises real questions about how much of this growth is coming from genuine customer demand versus investment capital moving through the system. I also look at what history teaches us from the dot-com boom, railroads, and electricity, and why transformational technology doesn't always translate into transformational business value This episode explores: Why the same companies funding AI are also the ones profiting from it What the dot-com bubble reveals about hype versus real value The simple framework I use to evaluate any business, in any industry Why powerful technology doesn't automatically mean a profitable business What separates companies built to last from companies riding temporary hype Is AI changing the world? I believe it already is. The real question is which companies are building lasting value, and which ones are just benefiting from the moment. Timestamp 00:00 - Is the AI Boom Bigger Than We Think? 00:09 - Trillions Are Pouring Into Artificial Intelligence 00:22 - AI Revolution or an Economic Bubble? 00:49 - Why AI Is Everywhere 01:11 - The Debate Investors Can't Ignore 01:20 - The Real Question About AI Economics 01:33 - Big Tech's AI Investment Cycle Explained 02:11 - Why AI Needs Massive Computing Power 02:27 - Real Demand vs. Investment-Driven Growth 02:53 - Why Excitement and Reality Don't Move Together 03:05 - Lessons from the Dot-Com Bubble 03:47 - When Optimism Gets Ahead of Reality 04:01 - Both Sides of the AI Debate Could Be Right 04:32 - Great Technology Doesn't Guarantee Profits 05:05 - Customers, Not Investors, Drive Long-Term Success 05:23 - A Simple Framework for Evaluating Any Business 05:57 - Can AI Really Create Trillions in Value? 06:10 - History's Warning About Revolutionary Technologies 06:35 - Fundamentals Always Outlast Hype 06:43 - Which AI Companies Will Survive? 07:11 - When Fundamentals Take Over 07:30 - Sustainable Success Is Built on Value 08:00 - Thank You for Supporting Common Denominator 08:15 - Subscribe for More Conversations Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack #AIInvesting #BusinessMindset #WealthBuilding #Entrepreneur #AIBubble #CommonDenominator

June 24, 202641 min

Resilience After Trauma | How One Soldier Rebuilt His Life with Mendel Vile

At 20 years old, IDF soldier Mendel Vile was hit by an anti-tank missile during combat. His friend took the blast to save the team. Mendel woke up in a hospital bed unable to walk and faced a choice that would define the rest of his life. This episode explores resilience, mental strength, recovery from trauma, and the mindset required to rebuild when everything changes in an instant. Mendel shares the lessons he learned through war, loss, survivor's guilt, and the long road back to physical and mental recovery. Whether you're facing a personal setback, recovering from trauma, building mental toughness, or looking for inspiration to keep moving forward, Mendel's story offers powerful lessons on resilience, purpose, and second chances. Timestamp 0:00 Chicago to the Judean Hills: who was Mendel before the war 4:00 Making aliyah at 7 what his parents sacrificed to move to Israel 8:00 October 7 the psychological shift inside Israeli society 11:00 Entering Gaza: fear, brotherhood, and the decision to go in 13:00 The day of the attack Oriya's birthday and the ambush 17:00 Waking up: shrapnel, surgeries, and a new reality 20:00 Survivor's guilt the hardest moment of the recovery 24:00 Rebuilding from zero: learning to walk, running marathons 28:00 Jewish identity and purpose after October 7 32:00 What second chances are actually for 34:00 Rapid fire round Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack Follow Mendel Vile https://www.instagram.com/mendel_vile/

June 17, 202629 min

Miami Is Only Year 5 of a 20-Year Boom | Ana Bozovic

Is the South Florida real estate boom a passing trend, or are we just getting started? In this episode of Common Denominator, I sit down with Ana Bozovic, the founder of Analytics Miami and one of the absolute sharpest voices providing a truly data-driven thesis on the South Florida market. We move past the sensational headlines to analyze the massive structural shift currently underway. We break down how the historic exodus from 20th-century economic epicenters like New York and California is not a temporary phase, but a permanent redirection of American capital. Ana shares the hard numbers proving this migration is still in its infancy, and why the "smart money" is positioning itself for a decade-long boom. Timestamp 00:00 Is Miami still underestimated? 02:47 The great wealth migration what the IRS data actually shows 04:53 Why high-tax states keep doubling down 06:20 The affordable housing crisis and the Live Local Act 07:39 Are condos overbuilt in Miami-Dade? 09:22 What happens to New York and California in 10 years 12:06 Wellness real estate the next big trend 13:28 All-cash buyers and what they reveal about the market 15:56 Miami in 10 years where the tri-county region is going 17:57 Quantum computing and the threat to Bitcoin 18:47 AI, polarization, and where America is headed 22:29 There's no going back why the migration forces keep building 24:47 New York was the capital of the 20th century. What's next? 28:23 Solving for loneliness Moshe's fractional wellness project 29:49 Jiu jitsu, community, and the human need for real connection Like this episode? Leave a review here https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator Newsletter https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/ Follow Common Denominator Podcast https://moshepopack.com/podcast/@mpopack https://www.instagram.com/mpopack https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack Follow Ana Bozovic https://www.instagram.com/ana_analytics/?hl=en