What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Gregg’s journey as an entrepreneur and the philosophy that has brought him success as the CEO of myHouseby and other businesses
• Authentic, sincere relationships are the starting point, center, and driving force of every good business
• The importance of abundance mentality and gratitude

Gregg Alvarez has never filled out a job application in his life.

That’s hard to believe for a man with such an impressive resumé, who has owned multiple companies and invested in even more. Alvarez’s career began in online advertising back when computers weren’t in every home, marketing was primarily done on the radio and in newspapers, and the Internet started with a dial-up tone.

Now an entrepreneur, angel investor, and venture capitalist, Alvarez has most recently permeated the housing market with his company myHouseby, a platform that guides people through the process of designing, building, and maintaining their own custom house. So how did he work his way from Internet marketing to CEO?

“I’ve always taken good care of the people I work with and for, to the best of my ability, and those folks have always tapped me on the shoulder and let me know when there is an opportunity I’d be a good fit for,” Alvarez explains, recognizing the relationships that he has built and maintained over time as the cornerstone of his career’s foundation. While these sincere relationships have led Alvarez to a wealth of opportunities, he acknowledges that he must be selective about which ones he pursues.

Alvarez’s investments are guided by the fundamental human behaviors that he believes have remained the same – and driven the market – since the beginning of time. While basic human needs remain consistent, Alvarez looks for ways to improve upon existing products and methods that address those needs, making them more efficient. This sensibility led him to the real estate industry where he perceives myHouseby as a modern approach to the basic human instinct to find and maintain shelter.

Alvarez’s big-picture perspective also fosters a mentality of abundance and gratitude. He understands that he is born at an exciting time in history, in a country (and city) bursting with potential, and he feels an “obligation” to explore those opportunities. Placing the collective’s well-being and progress at the center of this perspective, Alvarez encourages listeners to be generous and open with their ideas, unafraid to ask for help and bring other people along on their journey.

A fascinating episode packed with wisdom for every industry, listen to the full conversation to learn how Austin has developed into a start-up paradise since the 80s, what creates a successful business relationship, and 4 pieces of specific advice for new entrepreneurs.

Like and subscribe to hear more advice and encouragement from entrepreneurs and professsionals!

Masters and Founders is a founding_media podcast created in collaboration with foundingAustin.

Host: Dan Dillard

Ryan Francis

Guest: Gregg Alvarez

Transcript:

with a booming housing the real estate industry in Austin gregg Alvarez knew there had to be a way to innovate the process of building a home starting at city search in online marketing Greg has now moved into real estate and is this wrapped in the new home building experience with myhouseby Greg has also was changed within the housing industry so let’s jump right in and hear about Greg’s journey into entrepreneurship

hello everybody and welcome to masters and founders the podcast that is brought to you by founding Austin first of all before we get in everything I want to thank our sponsors Waterloo sparkling water still lost in whiskey tiny house coffee kind bar and of course Russell collection fine art gallery which we have been so fortunate to be a part of here thank you there is some incredible are here so if you ever stop by in Austin come check it out today this afternoon we are finishing a rally of podcasts where we’ve done twenty three different ones this is the last one and then we can all take a breather so it’s going to be great we have Greg Alvarez in the house who is the CEO of my house by in to venture capital angel investing and it seems to me like is a Jack of all trades so I’m pretty excited to learn from him I’m sure Dan as well let’s go ahead and jump in where did it start how is it going did you ever think that you’d be doing what you’re doing and and I want to hear all the nitty gritty

yeah like sitting here talking to you yes thanks for having me honored to be asked to do this and I could share a little bit about my story and specifically about you know starting companies and and and you know changing how we do things in the marketplace but my passion for a long time great and and how did it how did started you always knew you want to be an entrepreneur did the internet come around right at the perfect time or or and it was a little bit of luck involved here it’s I think there’s always things that you you’re not looking for but the present themselves and then I think it’s a matter of recognizing them and the the either having the courage or being braver silly enough to like handy that you know that that sounds interesting so yeah I would you know over twenty years ago I really didn’t know what I want to do with it and career wise and and I I happened along an internet company this is like I didn’t even I don’t even think I knew the word entrepreneur at the time whatever you know even today I’m like I’m not sure what that means but but it was interesting to those of those a a company called citysearch and I’m like and I found them at a job fair when I was working somewhere else and and they’re like Hey we’re building this online city guide where you get rid of the yellow pages and people find things on the internet and local search and it’s deals and it’s it’s a like a reviews of local businesses just for perspective to the audience what around what year is that all gosh a a a age myself here I would say ninety seven ninety eight ninety seven ninety eight yeah so so it was a free two thousand dot com all absolutely of bill gross idea labs company was going national Austin was one of its first four five markets I’m actually from Austin and was here and I thought it would be really neat I think like the DNA for for wanting to do something like that is just my I move around in life going we should how can we improve things how can things be done differently or better and so and so that’s kind of like my my posture as I moved in so when I when I heard that idea like that some really cool yeah we should do that

yeah that I mean better processes are always better something Dan is trying to instill in my mind right now so I’m I’m all about resources efficiencies efficiency are you better yeah absolutely so you’re enters the city search idea and jump right in or yes so so you know I’m I’m a young guy and our our mid twenties and and we literally pounded the pavement a team of about twenty five people running around Austin including this building we’re in the day going Hey we’re we’re gonna we’re gonna help you get customers when and they’re like how unity that is like we advertise and TV and we advertise on the radio and we advertise in print and like well there’s a new box now and it’s at your desk you know you’re used to advertising in the box in the car in the box the living room list box gonna beat everybody’s desk it’s a computer and people will literally be able to find you on their computer dot typed in art galleries or or seafood restaurants or in some cases chain saws and exterminators in you’ll be right there no no that your local Missy were your businesses and see a map and see pictures and literally were introducing the idea of the internet and and and computers to local businesses right and this was intuitive to you this this is a spark in your mind said this is going to happen did you see what did you see what’s happening today back then well you know it’s going to be this big now but if you think about if you if you think about if you take it all the way back to how human human beings are always after\ will be making things easy and and and every idea I was talking to Veronica earlier she said I go around looking at the best ideas in town and then I incorporate them in my business I’m like yes every human being since the very first you would being since the beginning of time also have never operated that way and so so so I was I noticed how well this is how we find businesses or this is how we make choices and here’s a faster more effective way to find local businesses will there be a restaurant a realtor or art gallery or doctor for your kids and instead of you know waiting for a commercial or waiting for the Sunday paper or using you know eight month old yellow pages there’s this place where everybody spends their time which is at their desks and from their computers

that makes sense to me yeah I get I mean I could see that back then I wish I always say I wish I could go back to that time because I feel like I’m pretty intuitive to know what’s going on inside of different spaces and I am all I knew was the internet that you you got onto an it actually rang me up you had to actually main yeah and that when I was a kid and and to have that inside of your mind where you were like none of this is going to be at everybody’s desk and you did that and so is all the audience a little bit about what what kind of start ups that you have worked with and what you enjoy working with as well SO much primarily historically because my first introduction to start ups was city search it’s a it’s internet marketing so it’s taking whether it be in a national business in international business for local business and putting them in front of a consumer audience interactive marketing what was was was my background and in the start up arena was my passion because you’re literally taking a good idea that doesn’t exist yet and turning it into a company with jobs and and the producers outcomes for consumers and for business and so it’s brand new it’s like creating something that wasn’t there I really like that after city search and actually during city search I went to consult for cars dot com so it was a pre launch of cars dot com they’re based out of Chicago and it was want one of the properties of a of a consortium of of traditional media companies primarily newspaper but classified ventures it was owned by as I remember I think Tribune and McClatchy knight Ridder and times and getting that and you know the number of these companies don’t even exist dream of their traditional media companies that new that they needed to protect their their assets against companies like Microsoft Corp point in Yahoo car cars and auto by TEL and all these you know and even you know we’re talking jobs and job boards and and real estate sites

and so I just happened to be on the automotive one on cars dot com and it was they poured tens of millions of dollars to to to start cars dot com and it but it was a traditional media company that did not know did not know how to launch an internet company so we got to go in a team of some colleagues of mine at city search literally got to go in and help these folks launch cars dot com I was also it at at realtor dot com back when actually during the real estate crash in the the mid mid to late two thousand and it was it was it was because of the crash where realtor was really impacted by by the downturn in real estate that they were looking to me enhance other revenues other revenue streams and so when my my background and not just me but there was a whole team of people who had background in creating and creating revenue models out of our monetizing websites sure it’s ads and whatnot creating an ad for a brighter better at foot friend more robust products for businesses and so was a realtor dot com from was five years am I most recently I was at at real savvy which is technology for tier one of brokers and agents who want to compete with you know there’s a Lowe’s and at of the world and and need help and and and the red fins and need help with technology a technology offering apps and and websites that are that are most technologically advanced but that wouldn’t know how to do it themselves or can’t afford it and so real savvy provides that that service to realtors and brokers my was investor then when aboard for year two as EVP of cells to help you know create you know as we I get guess you’d say put a spine and the jellyfish of the start up and help create structure and processes and systems so that you can scale mmhm and and so real seven there’s been a host of others and of my house by this is the most recent where were were on the CEO well it’s a platform for new home construction set allows consumers literally introduce them to a into a process for designing and building their own home from nothing their ideas and finding builders and land in the local market ticket they can help them with that using 3D and augmented reality and real time pricing it’s just a new way to to the template yeah so it’s a bit to build a home and then also maintain ownership but at home so I’m working with some really successful builders national builders and and international architectural design firm as co founders and and real estate marketing companies and at my sitios X. Amazon EC start up CTO and so it’s really successful people and bring them together to help help launch my house

yeah that’s that’s and that’s absolutely incredible you know one of the things that I really want to I want to you know get the the the fact that you came from really not knowing anything about the space to learning yeah I mean you told me earlier you had no idea entrepreneurship was and now you’re an entrepreneur and I’m sure you’re passionate about it how did it go through the gears you started in the tax base you’re still in the tax base but now you’re you’re into angel investing in helping other people bring their ideas to life and and how did that whole process evolve into what it is now that you’re able to pick and choose who and what you want to work on

you know yeah that that that’s that’s that’s really good observation there’s there’s gonna have a strategy to it it’s it’s it’s to to pick a place where I’m after getting too for myself and my family quality of life that I’m after and then and coming up with with the the means to be able to get there so having an opportunity with ends with inside companies are producing you know successful companies was helpful in maintaining those relationships over time and and you know I commented to one of my one of my colleagues a couple months ago when he was looking for a job I’ve said I’ve never I’ve never filled out an application I’ve never posted my my my job I like like a resume online people of all I’ve always taken good care of the people I work with and for it is super important clients or or colleagues or boxes and to the best of my ability I mean and and those folks have always tap me on the shoulder when I was you know focused on whatever our head in front of me and they’re like Hey here’s an opportunity that we think you would be a good fit for literally that has been my career and then having I’ve always made it a point to live a little bit beneath my means so that I so that I could make a pivot to another opportunity they weren’t tied up right yeah so bunch of commitments and don’t really look into willing to in willing to to to make to make the the the the transition chairman of the situation but over time building really strong relationships with with very intelligent and successful people people that I could trust and then overtime as I built my own capital and wealth and financial autonomy then picking because of many years of seeing start ups six it succeed and fail plenty of failures of being selective about the ideas and even more importantly the people that I wanted to invest with and and one question I have is let’s go back to any of these I called learning lessons

yes as going into AJ green resume and you talk about all these things I’ve been involved in there’s got to be those those walls that you had said okay I’m going to get around this so we would most will call this failure so I have had to deal with that I think the thing there’s I think my foot philosophy about life is probably the most profound thing that that helps me deal with all those situations and I’ve speedo if if you if the for the people that know me they hear me say this all the time I feel incredibly blessed to be living in Austin Texas in the United States as an adult male in twenty eighteen like taken in the context of of the global context even historical context I’ve already hit the mega millions lottery like right there’s as Morton more absurd that I get to be in this situation than than than than even winning the all the idea of winning a lottery and so I see it as an opportunity and an obligation to fulfill so when I I I I go I go looking for the failures ago looking for the challenges and when they happen I’m like I’m still living in Austin Texas in twenty eighteen or twenty sixteen or wherever I was at the time and so it it it allows me to be okay with with some of those challenges and certainly there’s been start ups and investments that I’ve made that that that have failed or that I’ve been on the team and that that didn’t didn’t make it and and but but I want I want to keep going right

I really love that the thought process works so you’re starting from a higher point from the very beginning so it’s like because of one the Lotto and you’re exactly right I mean given more than any other country yeah just imagine if we’ve been born in Syria or Afghanistan or imagine if we’ve been bought been born two thousand years ago a hundred years ago but here we set like what we have to be worried about a friend at work when I say it all the time yes you do I mean it’s incredible the things that were able to do right now because of where we are in history I I I a two years ago it was yes that was thirteen years ago we didn’t have what we have now I mean the fact that we’re live on Facebook right now we’re broadcasting live I mean come on win win well you mentioned it earlier when you talked about how you used to have to have to plug your computer and I mean we started citysearch you know we had we were at the omni doubt down the street here the the hotel on the fourth floor and my team and I would literally fight over the cable to who is going to get it next to plug into the computer because a warning of cables and if you don’t have a cable then there was no access to internet say to take turns to getting access to internet and there were no smartphones it was it was the flip phone so it was it’s bizarre how how how far we’ve come yeah and you know I want to talk a little bit about how tech has changed and you’ve you’ve obviously been a part of the space for a long time now going back to fighting over wire space what’s changed for you not only N. and the hardware space but in the process of getting work done and and how are you able to you know fit yourself in and and I mean how many businesses did you say your part of your how many full time jobs you have

well just a couple but but hi but only a couple at either I have I have about six companies that my wife learn best AS six companies and what what kind of process how do you control all that work flow good help like I don’t like it that is really smart the best thing that gets anybody that’s thinking about Hey I’ve got a great idea is like do not suffer alone like there are put people around you that have shared philosophy shared interests shared ambition and find ways to work together and find people that have like I used to think that I had to have all the financial expertise and all the technology expertise and all the sales expertise and all that you know and I’m like wait a minute there’s an expert there’s an expert there’s an expert there’s an expert let me bring these folks together as it relates to technology the technology is advancing so fast like every single day I mean there are thousands and thousands and thousands of start ups happening right here in Austin right now like we couldn’t keep a single human being could not possibly keep up so so what is helped me is is to like like I share to to to be paying attention to human behavior and why why people are doing what they’re doing what they’re after she resolving and those fundamentals don’t change so so if you see a new business in the marketplace or when I see when I’m like how does how does that my partner at at Hines Charles this is he’s great at deconstructing and reconstructing businesses as they relate to taking care of people and it doesn’t matter if it’s technology or issue or a or a restaurant is like how do they take care of people do that and and if they do then they can work right you can have the best technology but if it’s not organized well or doesn’t take care of some fundamental things that people after taking care of it won’t be accepted yeah I I mean I that’s what dance teaching me right now people let’s not by yourself it’s people it is people that’s that’s why I like name and what do you what I think I think this publication and and the purpose of it the timing of it is is is incredible and I see that it can help a lot of people you know the idea of having a job for twenty or thirty years and retiring anything and getting your you know your your retirement is is gone

yes and so people have to always be looking for ways to make new business offers in the market place and you know there might have been we know expression of the population that were entrepreneurs but moving moving forward we make there needs to be a lot of entrepreneurs because most people like I said won’t just have a job for twenty or thirty or forty or fifty years because whatever they knew won’t be relevant in the specially now yeah yeah it’s moving to Polk photos ever so I think everybody needs to be willing to to start a business and and and have people around them that’ll help in communities is important and that’s that’s the mission and the part of the things that you and I are lined and as of connecting people and seeing things I mean it there was a mentality I can maybe not it also is also going to great great mentality I feel and I’ve learned over years but there’s been a mentality of this I’m gonna do this myself I’ve got to succeed it’s all it’s all very self self self self and you pointed right now but then there’s this community it’s I go back to the stone soup story America’s number then so you really I love I love it will was stone supers it’s this whole town has an economic just dropped right and this lady came out swinging make stone soup so so she goes out as of what stone soup any for the stone in the pond and like well you know what we go with this stone soup in the neighborhood asked carrots and when it was a I got carrots and and then this little window that over and over is under the tables and just kind of keep asking you what would you add to this and before you knew the community built this great soup together and that’s what I see happening now in in the environment we’re at right now is being able to see who’s got and what they’ve with their values and how can you help them and then before you know you have this this this community they can now build businesses so I I think it’s really strong I’ve lost

yeah I I agree I think I think and not only that the yes to everything you said and all and a number of the people like I’m I’m I’m like the unicorn that like I’m one of the few people it was actually born here that is in the space of yeah but the people that have come here that from California and other parts of the country %HESITATION you know they they they want to be it’s interesting because they come here wanting to be part of Austin and so and so they they they come in and and immerse themselves into the community and I think I I I think that’s how what you’re describing is coming about is Austin just has a different feel than a lot of places and people want to be part of it and and so it allows it allows for these opportunities for people to to to to work together I’m very fortunate because it’s interesting most of the people that I know that I grew up with in the internet injury last twenty years our action actually are not in Austin there in Chicago and San Diego and in Seattle and New York and all all all over the all over Boston all over the country and and and I’ve had to like develop these relationships here is been after the fact which is kind of ironic given that I’m from there you know I I Austin I’ve been here for six years have you seen it grow and develop and what’s changed you’ve been here your whole life no well it’s in you that that’s a whole nother session I was born here and I love of live here five to okay keeps going back yes I keep coming back I mean it it’s fruitful well yes but I mean which you know how it don’t live here by the way well what are you can but make sure you contact my wife real estate company that that were part of it but

yes but well you know Austin before the early eighties Austin was was a university town and a a political and then in the eighties I think it was the eighties the universitet just made a very intentional move to get into you know offering engineering programs yeah they were watching what was happening over in Japan with technology and UT said we need to focus on that part and then that brought in and some of the companies started coming into town you know AMD and Motorola and and Texas Instruments and then we’re talking a long time ago and so you know it’s I don’t think it I don’t think it’s any accident that that that Austin is where it is it’s just if you look back far enough and see the the the the sequence of events from being in a university in a political town to to them saying what is the future of Austin look like and Hey we need to be a technology market and then go moving from hardware and software and technology into start ups and internets and entrepreneur which for entrepreneurs and and then the climate of of the state the the the the the the the the business climate in the state of Texas and then you’ll score anybody comes to Austin and it’s like yeah I remember when I was kid a simple mas’s he wears at that by Dallas or Houston and and now it’s you know now that that that doesn’t occur anymore but I also used to be the best kept secret yet you know like run through downtown to get the hill country get great restaurants great great music get corky people everybody’s nice you know it was it was really unique growing up here so once I think once more the business a star to come here and you see is like this is great and it’s a lot cheaper than northern cal parts of California and and and so I think that’s that’s why it’s it’s it’s moved to what it is yeah it’s it’s an incredible place when I moved here I mean I’ve seen it grow and I I couldn’t put it can put a number on it but I’ve seen it grow immensely and the amount of opportunity that I’ve been given is that I don’t know if anything that I do could happen where I’m from I really don’t I don’t believe it just the fact that you know Dan and I met through Instagram over cellphones is at that blows my mind right there and I think I think Austin is a mac of entrepreneur ism that it’s like it’s like a sick building blocks right everybody leans on each other a little bit and you can always count on somebody to put you in touch with this person or with this person and the fact that we even have a meet up or or what Dan does with founding Austin where you get three hundred people in a room and they all own a business what kind of magic happen that of that so I mean

seriously well I’m a minute a minister a seven and study program for I wrote a number of years now RG network and and one of the fundamental is that we understand is that is that human beings are we were we will this is my language like four pack and like we come together we do weekly couple like all like all human beings come together today we call them yeah we might call them communities our churches our schools our businesses are first nation states or or religions but it just groups of people getting together to take care of some some purpose education spirituality you know of the careers your money or you know but so anytime that you have the opportunity to create and it’s to be intentional about what you said earlier about bringing people together in connecting people who have like like goals like ambitions whether it’s you know around entrepreneurs and or or billing companies are help helping find resources of people teams capital that’s that’s how that’s how that’s how we come together as people right what we do so I think you get you just a really good job of it well but he’s okay and you’re looking going back to the community Austin is and and I think we’ve kind of told me reeling on stock but also because we we appreciate so much that’s one but we’ve had of several guest this week talk about the power of the mentality of what Austin is we talk to you Kathy Terry talked about Juno if Peter’s would be what it was if it wasn’t for Austin we talked to talk about real estate yeah man I mean come on that is one of that was why I said I always said if I didn’t do what I’m doing which is whatever I want to do I’d be doing real estate right well we’re we’re growing over a realistic can listen about that I I want to briefly mention hindsight is when you I’m Matt I was really impressed with the way you look at real estate and your people as I wanna talk about that for a couple minutes and then I went over the union center as a so what impressed me about hindsight it’s not about what I came away from in a coffin meeting was it’s not about so a result will say is about developing relationships and taking being that one comes here type person they can take care of everything this that you need that’s right one full so can you like you actually

I I guess I I can’t take credit for it like I said my partner Charles good yet he’s he he started hindsight many many years ago over twenty seven twenty years ago now as a single agent here in town but he he he built a company that’s about taking care of other people you know with the way I hold real estate is you know what I tell when when I have somebody that’s thinking about being an agent they come visit me like look since the beginning of time human beings have been looking for shelter back then it was caves you know like literally and they were like Hey we got a cave we made it pretty bye bye coloring on the wall you know and now we have caves that we call houses and condos and apartments but every human being is concerned with shelter all the time I love we would not be sitting here right now having this interview if we didn’t know we were going to sleep tonight because that would take priority would be like I need no were mostly it would be out there right and because we know human human beings come together and create relationships hindsight was built on on on the foundation of its get it’s going to be about the relationship first because that’s what really matters the if if you become an expert at something whether it’s real estate medicine or entrepreneurship and you have authentic relationships with people value and trust you and like you they’ll use you when they have that need for that expertise like if you were orthopedic surgeon and I needed a hip replacement and I like you and you you and I trusted you and I knew that you were an expert then you’d be my guy was similarly our agents go around building relationships with people first and that sincere like my people couldn’t be sales people they could be a real estate agent somewhere else they only can be a real estate agent that hindsight because they can authentically go out there and be themselves in genuinely give their energy into nurturing and developing and deepening the relationships and how important you think it is to let people be genuine with what they want to do

well it it it it speaks to truth and sincerity I mean you know when you’re being self something absolutely and and for you know when a sales person is after taking care of what they’re interested in as opposed to what you’re interested in so we we make it very clear with our with our agents yet year after taking care of the relationship you happen to be an expert in will teach you to be an expert in all things real estate and your previous point it’s not just about the transaction but but if you want to create an investment portfolio or if you need a repair crew or if you need approach if you need to protest taxes or or refinance like because the relationship is ongoing the services are ongoing that’s that’s how we organized company if when people when people get that’s not about the transaction it changes the world it’s it’s it’s about it’s about the in yeah it’s about that relationship and everything else takes care of itself without first serving six or so your news project yes let’s talk about that my house but yeah it’s interesting so again not not my idea I I I give myself the credit at recognizing good ideas like I was a I wasn’t a real estate investor looking for somebody to help me many years ago when I was introduced to Charles because we work exclusively bar for also use energy he I was introduced to him by somebody that I knew who I trusted who trusted Charles and so I just I started using him for real estate investment my wife became an aged she’s been there ten ten years producer Gregory for self so like I said hindsight was a Monday when my house by wasn’t mine either I just recognize it so my my colleagues and and and our field of study she told me about they’re they’re looking to do some commercial development downtown here there there architectural commercial architectural designers like Bostonian plus like really high end luxury and we’re helping source for some some land downtown but they came is that by the way we have the start up my house but and and we’re building a platform where consumers can go through and design and make make selections of a house with real time pricing anybody right on the platform like you I can be here my wife can be across the country we can be looking at the platform together and and this is in development by the way so if he was running out there so yeah it’s not there yet but the prototype we actually built fourteen home for fourteen set of clients and and what was innovative as the process because right now if you see people buying like if you go out somebody Hey I want to design and build a home what do you do and ninety nine out of our people go I have no clue like where’s the where’s the site that tells me how to do that the worst where’s the site that I can do that all it doesn’t exist like if somebody said Hey I want to buy a new car what what what are getting like a good cars dot com or go to that a car bomb or go to the one of the H. R. Hey I want to buy an airline ticket will you know you got Expedia or one of these other other is that what you want to do with my house my that’s that’s exactly right we want we want to introduce consumers into a process for like if you go to war be Parker if you go to Tesla dot com or stitch fix this like Hey this is how you go about you doing this this is how you go about doing this in a guy do you attract a lot but but allowing people to dream and design on their own and guiding them through a process where they become educated they know what they’re going to spend and there are literally building the home and they can build this home for fun or they can actually be like Hey we’re going to we’re going to go live in this house and then and then be even beyond that offer that we help them we help we give them a place to to to find their builder and find their land and design their home and go through the process and in bringing it into twenty eighteen when they’re not driving back and forth all over town for four months

but then also helping them manage and own and take care of the house he would be on the purchase of that I’m all about friction society will move into that trying to get things saving time and everything and and I really love when companies are mindful of Hey here’s the things that aren’t working in a wide not working but we’re going to fix it for my guys like it like I said they’re they’re they’re not they’re luxury home builders or learn their their luxury commercial construction designers they’re they’re they’re experienced I’ve got Amazon guys of and and people experience and and the top of the the new construction home entry and they all of them collectively realize the need to create a new experience for the consumer but also for the builder and so so that was the inspiration for it and and that’s what we’re building more excited about yeah how is that design process like for how does anybody how to me I have no idea what design means at all so how is it that I could do that can I go in there and and start front to back and design my own home is that how it works yeah well you know it’s really about about what what what you what you want yeah because your home is your case rain yet yeah if you could dream or imagine what a what what it would look like for years like Hey you know I’m for me have got a wife and got twenty five year olds we lose we like we like we like trees and we like to do things outdoors and we like you know certain types of areas and neighborhoods and and restaurants and access to town lake so you know we I would be that’s what you what people will build a profile for who they are what they want their price range and then will literally go about finding the home plans in the builders in the areas that matches them you’re mad it’s like the harmony for for for for for for for home god it’s great but not not not so much existing homes as new construction will be will there specifically looking for for two tickets have win way on their their own home it’s a win win on the builder and the home buyer we have the ability to think about that and and again my background is in in marketing so think about think about the builder that that spends tons of money and the developers it’s been the CTC print ads and TV at the radio ads and when you talked to a builder developer about we don’t wear the right of return is on their on their advertising or it’s like they don’t know who you know and most of them don’t and and and they like to build and so we’re after reducing the cost of acquisition of the customer

absolutely and bring them a more informed buyers that makes it makes them easier to work with and will more likely make them happy satisfied clients at the end of the experience so rafter reducing the cost of time money and effort not only for the consumer but also for all our builder partners yeah we’re gonna be selective about who we bring aboard it’s not gonna be anybody that builds the builders that that will work with kind like only large cars dot com were like Hey not any dealers gets to be on cars dot com Skylanders in quality that’s right it’s got to be people that that that take care of our customers like we have so so we’ll be were being selected but we’ve got some some national players that they’re they’re they’re coming aboard when we launch here later this summer and more we we were building our team and building our our platform and really excited about launching hopefully by by June of this year

Greg I’ve got a question regarding you know what the audience for masters and founders really trying to reach out to people that are out there that have an idea they’ve been you know new living there hadn’t have kind of like what do I do or or maybe there’s this there’s a roadblock to have been able to overcome what would your advice you know over the last twenty years would you really kind of gun and entrepreneurs I’m and just look at the properties would you say that person as far as will be the one thing that you want to communicate to the audience wow heavy that’s a big question I’ll I’ll I don’t mean that I think the two things are what three things I think first continue to learn like like there’s so much good information out there right right read books get in a fit get in some discourse where they can continue to learn pay attention to the relationships they’re they’re in and the people that build up there the third around so that said if you want to be an entrepreneur or if you if you want to I’m not even sure what that means if you want to be if you want to be if you were to start a company or bring an idea the market place and then then be around people that are doing those types of things and they can be current bosses they can be mentors business mentors they can be colleagues but but but go find those places you know what with it the internet there’s there’s there’s there’s tons of places to find those resources and

I think most importantly expect for it to be incredibly hard and and and expect for most people like there to be a lot of naysayers and then just keep on going right but the I think the market places changing where there’s no shortage of of local resources and work since we’re often talking about Austin most specifically here there so so many mentorship companies and programs and the season that have that have come about but but but find find good help like it’s out there I really like that because it goes along with me I’m hearing is ask the cook learn and then asking don’t be afraid to ask us for help absolutely the has or help every day all the time a lot of times in you’ll be surprised that it was just willing to do so yeah and and for those that are maybe interested in and a idea asking doesn’t mean that you failed it just means that you need a little bit of help right I’m I’m going through this I’m a budding entrepreneur I’ve been and I’ve been an entrepreneur for two years and I a fine trouble asking and there’s a lot of pride in that and I am finding just now set it aside set the pride aside let people do the work they’re there for you and especially if they like you then they’re gonna do great work it’s it’s it’s it’s interesting because it’s two sides of the same coin my one of my business mentors run mac but maybe you know I was out I went through this this years ago I’m like asking for help is like I’m being vulnerable because I’m literally speaking I don’t like I have to say I don’t know how to do something or I’m not I’m not proficient enough it’s something that I’m that I trust myself to to lead us in that and being vulnerable enough to go I need help with in in that in that particular domain with the apps but in order to know to understand where vulnerabilities are the other side of that coin is where shrinks are and we have to know where in you can come out for me the direction like visa my strengths and these are not and if I’m going to be successful I’ve got to leave and my strength and lean into my my vulnerability why not and then go find people who can help me who are the experts and bring them in and say look I’m doing this I’m an expert here and I’m gonna go build this to take care of this situation and I’ll I’ve got this but I need help over here yep can you be my and like it’s nobody succeeds by themselves yeah like like you need help and another thing is I a I constantly think people want to be entrepreneurs in law a lot of people don’t want to be entrepreneurs and want to stress of this and me I’m like I want to keep my secrets and I’m not going to let anybody know what’s going on when I read the other thing too that seriously the what he knew we don’t have any original ideas yeah it’s it’s it’s the I remember when I was a kid growing up in like their shit I remember specifically I’ll be caves and I would drive it out drop out less likely to list like has gone out and drive and and I think there should be a car wash on the case reserve that think are in open up a car wash on because one day and it within two years as a car wash and like you know that’s a there is no original idea yes does

will somebody stop what they’re doing and go do that thing that they thought of and will they do it successfully by the surrounding cells by a powerful team of people to help them it’s the truth and I’m learning that the hard way I am yeah I’ve finally I’ve I’ve bottlenecked myself as dancers and I’ve learned like never I I you know like Rick or whose was this he’s the CEO real savvy and we’ll ask folks that he’s a great guy really wonderful human being and just very is genuine is as a as a person you’ll find and and he’s just a baby just sucks so willing to go Hey I need help here I’m I’m good at this I’m not so good at this and and I would always you know like Rick we shouldn’t share that idea with other folks are we don’t we need to keep that secret orders like we shared news of one of the things they learn is like like don’t worry about keeping your secrets the the likelihood that somebody’s going to go and do it they go and do it and stop what I mean even when I just shared with you about what we’re doing at my house by there certainly companies out there with the resources to go to go do this thing but the likelihood that they will like it I’m going to stop what I’m doing and go do this thing is the amount of work alone I have a comment about this I mean ten years ago in any type of app the builder whatever there’s like signs in the exams in the X. and is in the a and now I don’t hear as much and I personally I mean this like a total explores all the time Michael signed those things if you’re not gonna get anywhere if you don’t just awfully sure and I do believe that everyone of us is like a fingerprint all our own history is going to lead us down the path so I would’ve been able start counting all surface or any of the things we’re doing had I not gone through and started my wealth management company all the things that I did because I learned so much from that the same with me do these things

it is a limit Steve Jobs Steve Jobs in his commencement speech to I believe those Princeton he said when you look back you’re never going to be able to connect the dots looking forward right he says it’s not until you get there they are able to connect the dots looking backward and and then now it all makes sense during the process it’s and I’m I’m a I’m I speak like I said I’ve only been I’ve only been a business owner for two and a half years during the process you don’t know and you don’t know who you’re gonna come across like even this podcast at last year right now if you’d told me I’d be doing a podcast during south by southwest and could you crazy but here we are providing content and giving our listeners knowledge by people that are in there moving everything around changing the game and that alone to be able to provide value like that for people it is unparalleled to anything we’ve ever been able to do as a human as human history is going to continue to evolve one also we gonna get Greg in here or William more you know I mean hello none not a hundred years ago I was I was joking around a hundred years ago we had to get into it we had to build the boat and sail across the ocean to go talk to new human beings right you know what I mean yes read the read the book abundance now I’ve heard of it actually to to to to German wrote it Cutler K. O. T. Ellie are and I am and this I would encourage anybody watching or listening to read that book we’ll put the link in the description abundance it it it literally gives perspective on global perspective in historical perspective primarily as I interpreted scare ship scarcity resources but it talks about where we’ve come as a as a civilization and and and and where were you know kind of make some some some some yeah okay this is based upon where we ban is your singer this is this is the path or headed on basically like Hey really in a great position based upon what we wore can you use about the knowledge you are like Hey this we were a hundred years ago or even thirty years ago there’s a lot of that the book but it’s real data so it’s like it supports like we’re talking about it conceptually but there’s like the data that demonstrates how far we’ve come and then half and then we’re we’re likely to go and then the follow up book to abundance that they wrote this call bold it’s about exponential entrepreneurship jokes you know I’m talking here about buildings great platform and they’re talking about sending greedy computers out to mine you know minerals on a on a on a you know I mean you’re right and then and then that that thing will build whatever needs to build to go build the next it’s just you know if feeding the world and and educating the world and and and you know just some some really amazing things with two great books makes losses that are missing

back to this point to the I really want to nail down is you have to operate from abundance I think that ten hours or is is is is that scarcely Majali wrapping everything put everything on a bowl when you’re thinking you’re doing alone you’re thinking about is myself you thinking I need it in the a and I can share my ID and all these things that’s with us operating from a space of scarcity not abundance when you know that Hey no matter what I’ve got nor be able get help for this idea to actually grow yeah I may help so and less sad to say that’s the that’s one of the beauties of of the the the what what a week the millennials and the and the and the age beneath them are younger than them they’re really good at what you just they don’t come from scarcity they come from abundance and I think they’re going to a lot of amazing things and great how can anybody listening right now reach you if they want to get in contact with you well they can reach and the easiest way is just look me up on linked in a Greg Alvarez that’s G. R. E. G. G. A. L. V. A. R. E. Z. a famine Facebook is just a bunch of pictures of my kids so they’re going to and probably better off sounds good Hey Greg it was a pleasure having you on the podcast I really appreciate you taking time out of your day I know you’re busy man so I appetizers yet because in something great here thank you they actually take care guys see you next time it’s so important to find your pack community and circle of folks who can come together to help you with what you’re working on reading your group well is key to keeping your goals moving forward thank you Greg for joining us and sharing your story the masters in Venice team includes me damn Dillard producer Mariah gossip and audio engineer Jake Wallace shout out to Ryan Francis for co hosting this episode with me and thank you to everyone of found in Austin for your support are you enjoying the show make sure you hit that subscribe button and maybe write us a review on I tunes as it helps others find the show thank you for listening