REL Freedom Podcast

Hosted by Mike Swenson

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Episodes

347

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Helping people working in all areas of the real estate industry find financial freedom. Join us as we interview the top minds in the industry to see how they used real estate in all ways, shapes and forms to find their own financial freedom. Whether you're a real estate agent, a real estate investor, a real estate syndicator, or you have a business inside of real estate, we want to highlight how you're using it to build time and financial freedom. Want to be a guest on REL Freedom? Contact us at mike@relfreedom.com Join Our Community at http://AgentInvestorMastermind.com Watch All Of Our Content at http://relfreedom.tv

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60 recent

August 20, 202632 min

Chad Ackerman - Wealth Beyond Your W2

Can you build meaningful income through real estate without becoming a landlord or adding another job to your already busy schedule? Chad Ackerman is a former corporate HR and compensation executive with more than 25 years of experience who realized his financial future was far too dependent on his W2 income. That realization sent him down the path of passive real estate investing, where he made early mistakes, learned valuable lessons, and eventually co-founded Left Field Investors, one of the largest communities for passive investors, later acquired by BiggerPockets. Today, through CARE (Chad Ackerman Real Estate), Chad helps busy professionals move from confusion and overwhelm to clarity and confident action as passive real estate investors. He shares what he wishes he knew when he started, how to evaluate passive investment opportunities, avoid common mistakes, and create income streams without dealing with tenants, toilets, or day-to-day property management. If you're a high-performing professional looking to diversify beyond your W2 income and build a path toward greater financial freedom, this episode offers practical insights to help you take your first, or next step into passive real estate investing. FOLLOW: https://chadackermanrealestate.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-ackerman-8089a8a/ SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

August 13, 202624 min

Rochanne Douglas - The Cracks Didn't Break Me

What happens when the very experiences that could break you become the foundation for your purpose? rochanne Douglas is an entrepreneur, real estate professional, investor, author, and founder of Loving 2 Learn Child Care Center, a childcare organization that has served children and families for more than 30 years. Her journey includes growing up around addiction and instability, becoming a teenage mother, surviving domestic violence, building successful businesses, raising a family, and navigating tremendous personal and professional challenges. Through it all, faith, perseverance, and an unwavering belief that circumstances do not determine destiny became the foundation for a remarkable life. The conversation also explores her highly publicized Washington, D.C. property rights and squatter case, the lessons adversity has taught her about resilience and leadership, and the story behind her forthcoming memoir, CRACKED: A Memoir of Survival, Faith, and Becoming. From entrepreneurship and real estate to breaking generational cycles, trusting God through uncertainty, and finding purpose in difficult seasons, this episode is an honest and inspiring reminder that our struggles don't have to define us. Sometimes, the very things that crack us open are what allow the light to shine through. FOLLOW: https://www.rsdouglas.net/ https://www.instagram.com/stories/4evermsrochanne/ https://www.tiktok.com/@growwithro_ SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

August 6, 202638 min

Courtney Poulos - The Irreplaceable Agent

Meet Courtney Poulos — a 20+ year LA real estate powerhouse who got tired of waiting for the industry to fix itself, so she built the fix herself. After 14 years grinding it out as a licensed broker, she launched ACME in 2011 with one mission: build the brokerage she desperately wished existed when she was coming up as an agent. No absentee bosses. No cookie-cutter training. No corporate fluff. Just real expertise, real accountability, and real results — and somewhere along the way, she turned it into one of LA's most respected boutique brokerages. These days, Courtney's running the show as founder and broker-owner of ACME | SERHANT. and a founding team member of SERHANT. CA — splitting her time between closing deals on the ground and rethinking the entire industry from the top down. She's shaping policy on her local MLS board, loudly pushing for mandatory agent apprenticeship reform, and just wrapped Harvard's Advanced Management Program for good measure. Translation: this is someone who's as comfortable in the trenches as she is in the boardroom — and she's bringing that rare mix of hustle and vision straight to your speakers. Follow: https://acmexserhant.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@theacmechannel https://www.instagram.com/acmexserhant/ https://www.facebook.com/acmexserhant SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

July 30, 202637 min

Cameron Tope - How To Manage Your Rental Property

Cameron Tope comes back to our podcast as a Part 2 on property management. Cameron is the founder of Emerson Property Management, and also a real estate investor and entrepreneur who used rental properties to break free from the unpredictability of the oil and gas industry. After seeing firsthand how unstable the corporate world could be, he began building a rental portfolio that would eventually allow him to quit his W-2 job and create life on his own terms. When he couldn’t find a property manager he trusted, he built his own company from the ground up. Today, he manages over 300 properties in Houston, owns more than 30 rentals himself, and successfully runs Emerson Property Management remotely—all while living in San Diego, California. On this episode with us, he digs deep on what you should be thinking about as it relates to managing your own rental properties. He shares how to scale and build so that you can manage your properties yourself, and shares important information so that you can properly process and strategize to build out your property management on your rentals. FOLLOW: https://www.emersonpropertymanagement.com/ https://www.facebook.com/EmersonPMBDM https://www.youtube.com/@emersonpm https://www.instagram.com/cameron_tope/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-tope-57008994/ SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

July 23, 202631 min

Kevin "KAYR" Robinson - From Poverty & Loss To 160 Doors

What does it take to overcome incredible adversity and build lasting wealth through real estate? Kevin "KAYR" Robinson went from growing up in deep poverty in West Philadelphia—moving more than 18 times before adulthood—to building a multi-million-dollar real estate portfolio with more than 160 rental units. After attending Bowdoin College and working in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, KAYR combined disciplined systems, conservative investing principles, and relentless execution to create long-term financial independence. Kevin also shares the inspiring story behind his two-time USA TODAY best-selling memoir, Can't Break Me, and how resilience became the foundation of his success. KAYR dives into the strategies that are helping investors succeed in today's higher interest rate environment, including how to stress-test deals, avoid thin-margin mistakes, use conservative leverage, and build a portfolio designed for long-term stability. This episode is packed with actionable real estate insights, practical investing frameworks, and powerful lessons on turning adversity into opportunity. FOLLOW👇: https://www.kayrmotivates.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KevinKAYRRobinson https://www.instagram.com/kayrmotivates https://www.linkedin.com/in/krobins2/ https://www.tiktok.com/@kayrmotivates SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

July 16, 202638 min

Kunal Lakhwani - Luxury Travel Hacking With Real Estate

What if your everyday spending could unlock business-class flights, luxury hotels, and unforgettable vacations—without spending more money or becoming a travel hacking expert? Kunal Lakhwani is the creator behind Rentals & Runways, who shares how he went from engineer and immigrant to mastering the art of travel hacking. He breaks down a simple, repeatable system for turning everyday purchases into premium travel experiences using credit card points and rewards. You'll learn how to choose the right credit cards, maximize everyday spending, and book flights and hotels that most people assume are only for the wealthy. Whether you're a real estate investor looking to make your travel budget go further or simply want to experience more of the world for less, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can start using right away. FOLLOW 👇 https://www.instagram.com/rentals.and.runways/ SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

July 9, 202629 min

Matt Ricciardella - Turning "Mom & Pop" Into Millions

Matthew Ricciardella is Founder and CEO of Crystal View Capital, a private equity real estate firm specializing in value-add manufactured housing communities and self-storage across the U.S. With over 20 years of experience and more than $1 billion in transaction volume, Matt has built a vertically integrated platform overseeing $650M+ in assets across multiple funds. He shares what it really takes to scale in commercial real estate while staying grounded in disciplined underwriting, conservative leverage, and long-term thinking. Matt breaks down his approach to finding underperforming, often overlooked “mom-and-pop” assets and transforming them through operational improvements, rent optimization, and professional management. In a world where complex financial engineering often takes center stage, he keeps it simple: buy right, operate well, and treat investors fairly. If you want a real look at how institutional-quality returns are built through fundamentals—not hype—this conversation delivers. FOLLOW: https://www.crystalviewcapital.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-ricciardella/ https://www.facebook.com/CrystalViewCapital SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

July 2, 202625 min

Dipesh Sitaram - How The Wealthy Really Build Wealth

What if everything you've been told about building wealth is only part of the story? Dr. Dipesh Sitaram was a practicing dental surgeon who discovered that even a high-income career wasn't enough to create true financial freedom. Instead of relying solely on traditional investments like stocks and retirement accounts, he began building a multi-million-dollar portfolio through private real estate and alternative investments—the same types of opportunities that many wealthy investors have used for decades. As the founder of Responsible Real Estate and Acuere Capital Partners, Dipesh helps physicians and everyday investors understand how to evaluate private deals, generate passive income, protect their assets, and build long-term wealth with confidence. We explore why diversification matters, how private investments differ from the public markets, the mindset required to think like an investor instead of an employee, and practical strategies for creating financial freedom that extends beyond a paycheck. This episode will challenge the way you think about money and open the door to opportunities many investors never even know exist. SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

June 25, 202627 min

Chris Larsen - Financial Freedom By 40

What if you stopped waiting until retirement to start living? Chris Larsen, founder of Next-Level Income, made it his mission to achieve financial freedom after losing his father at a young age and his best friend at just 18. While building a successful career in medical device sales, Chris quietly built a real estate portfolio, starting with his first rental property at age 21 with less than $3,000 down. Over time, his passive income grew to the point where his paycheck became optional. Today, Chris helps investors build wealth through commercial real estate investments across multifamily, self-storage, car washes, and senior housing, with more than $2 billion in acquisitions since 2016. In this episode, he shares the principles behind his new book, How to Be Financially Free by Forty, and the strategies he used to create financial freedom, lasting wealth, and a life lived on his own terms. SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13

June 18, 202628 min

Tim Kelly - Why I Walked From Military Pension

What would it take for you to walk away from a guaranteed pension… and bet on yourself instead?F ormer United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Tim Kelly made one of the boldest decisions of his life: leaving the military four years before retirement eligibility to pursue true financial freedom through real estate, mindset, and high-performance living. After spending 15 years leading under pressure in the Navy, he realized he wanted more than just security—he wanted freedom of time, freedom of choice, and the ability to build a life fully on his own terms. That journey led him deep into real estate investing, personal growth, and wealth-building strategies that ultimately helped him become involved in nearly 2,000 commercial real estate units. Today, he serves on the Board of Directors for Active Duty Passive Income, is a certified High Performance Coach, and co-authored the bestselling book “Military House Hacking,” helping service members, veterans, and entrepreneurs create financial independence through disciplined execution and intentional living. We dive into military leadership, mindset shifts, building passive income, overcoming fear, and what it really takes to transition from a life of structure and certainty into entrepreneurship and investing. SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 📈 https://pinnaclecapitalinvestments.com/ LEARN ABOUT REL FREEDOM & HEAR MORE REAL LIFE STORIES 🎙️ http://www.FreedomThroughRealEstate.com FREEBIES: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE FREEDOM FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT 💵 https://www.relfreedom.com/blueprint SUBSCRIBE TO THE REL FREEDOM PODCAST 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rel-freedom-podcast/id1535281574 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nXA5hLHbDzRwxypc2wLur?si=uwhs8FjVS_mpUAG2znbBDA&nd=1&dlsi=069fb8d4b74d4cfb LET'S CONNECT 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-swenson/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrelfreedom/ 👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relfreedom 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswenson13