Mark Turnbull, founder of Module Building Systems, shares the journey of building an offsite construction company in Saint Louis with a mission to deliver high-quality, attainable housing at scale. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Mark traces his entrepreneurial roots from early real estate investments to a pivotal realization inspired by IKEA’s flat-pack model and Henry Ford’s manufacturing systems. After facing financial setbacks, including being nearly broke while pursuing the vision, he ultimately relocated to Saint Louis, leveraging relationships, grants, and creative capital structures to launch the company locally. The episode explores how winning a major startup competition and securing public-private support positioned the business for long-term impact.

The conversation breaks down what Module Building Systems actually produces today—fully finished panelized wall systems that reduce construction costs and timelines while maintaining design flexibility. Mark explains why unreliable trades and process inefficiencies, not just materials, are the true bottlenecks in traditional construction. The discussion also examines a pilot housing initiative in North Saint Louis, the distinction between “affordable” and “attainable” housing, and the long-term vision for neighborhood-level revitalization without displacement. The episode concludes with insights on founder resilience, capital strategy, immigration pathways for talent, and leadership principles centered on mission, culture, and building trust.

Connect with the Host:

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with our Guest:

Website: https://www.modulebuildingsystems.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwturnbull

Timestamps:

00:00 Founder risk, grants, and being tested

01:30 Mark’s background and why Saint Louis

02:55 Early entrepreneurship and real estate snowball

04:06 The “IKEA + Henry Ford” construction insight

05:16 Going broke, rebuilding, and choosing the U.S.

06:25 First Saint Louis trip, North City, and mission clarity 08:37 How Arch Grants works and how he positioned to win 10:02 New Markets Tax Credits and relationship-driven capital

12:09 Bridge loan, state appropriation timing, and survival mode

13:27 ADHD, hyperfocus, and the entrepreneur’s mindset 16:39 What Module Building Systems builds (panelized “secret sauce”)

18:32 30% cost savings, 50% faster timelines, and who it’s for 20:37 City pilot: minimum 10 homes, factory opening, execution plan

26:55 Dropping out, recruiting experts, and building the team 30:08 Why modular startups fail: leverage, overbuild, wrong market

36:50 Defining “attainable” and quality standards for longevity

41:14 North Saint Louis realities, brick maintenance, and design tradeoffs

43:38 Community input, block-by-block progress, and equity (not displacement)

45:06 Canada vs U.S. entrepreneurship and the Saint Louis opportunity

48:08 Can housing innovate like autos—and what must change

51:22 Founder advice: perseverance, networking, and leading with “why”

01:03:42 E-2 visa strategy, hiring Canadians, and NIW pathway

01:06:55 The books and principles shaping Mark’s leadership

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.comConnect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

#Leadership

#Entrepreneurship

#RealEstate

#ModularConstruction

#AttainableHousing

#StLouisStartups

#ConstructionInnovation

Rachel Wallis is a second-generation business leader, former CEO of Wallis Companies, and founder of The Sixth Level, a leadership and culture consultancy. During her tenure, Wallis Companies grew into a multibillion-dollar enterprise with fuel distribution, convenience retail, and car wash operations across the Midwest. Rachel is also the first woman to serve as President of the Missouri Convenience Store Association and is the co-author of The Sixth Level, a book focused on building thriving, human-centered organizational cultures. Her career spans hands-on operational leadership, large-scale acquisitions, board governance, and now executive coaching and consulting.

In this episode, Rachel and Raj explore leadership through the lens of culture, people, and long-term sustainability. Rachel shares insights on mental health and leadership, emphasizing the importance of seeking coaching and support just as one would medical care. The conversation dives deep into the convenience store industry, including data-driven decision-making, branding strategies, and the evolution of gas stations into experiential destinations—highlighted by the growth of Wally’s. Rachel also walks through the strategy and relationship-driven execution behind Wallis Companies’ most successful acquisition, her decision to step away as CEO, and the personal clarity that followed. The latter half of the episode focuses on The Sixth Level framework, its four core principles, and why modern organizations must adapt to what Rachel calls the “human potential era.” The episode closes with reflections on intentional leadership, presence, and integrating work and life with purpose.

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Website: https://www.sixthlevel.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wallis-andreasson

Book: The Sixth Level

00:00 Introduction and Rachel’s background

01:51 Childhood and the origin story of Wallis Companies

06:31 Growing up in the business and early lessons at home

09:23 How the business scaled and the industry shifted over time

12:28 Leadership principles: humility, people, and relationships

15:06 Organic growth vs acquisitions and pivotal early deals

20:01 Real estate strategy and fuel distribution explained

23:54 Rachel’s path inside the company and becoming a leader

29:48 How Rachel learned: MBA, peer groups, coaches, consultants

32:56 Mental health, coaching, and why leaders should seek support

34:11 Data, promotions, and “secret sauce” in convenience retail

36:36 Convenience stores as destinations and the evolution of the experience

37:12 Wally’s: concept, differentiation, and expansion plans

42:02 The 2016 acquisition: strategy, relationships, and execution

49:03 Stepping away as CEO and transitioning to a new chapter

53:12 The Sixth Level: the book, culture flywheel, and core principles

01:03:24 Generational engagement, hybrid work, and the future of leadership

01:07:18 Closing lesson: intentional leadership and being present

01:10:11 Where to find Rachel and learn more about The Sixth Level

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

#Leadership

#Entrepreneurship

#FamilyBusiness

#BusinessGrowth

#CompanyCulture

#ExecutiveLeadership

#WomenInBusiness

Shaun Hayes returns for his second appearance to share hard-earned lessons from a career that spans entrepreneurship, banking, and executive leadership. He’s an author and speaker who has built and scaled businesses, evaluated thousands of business plans, and brings a pragmatic operator’s lens to what actually makes companies succeed or fail. This conversation frames his newest book, The Green Choice, as a “gut-check roadmap” for newly minted and aspiring entrepreneurs who want real-world perspective rather than motivational slogans.

Across the episode, Shaun and Raj unpack the realities founders face when leaving “the mothership” of corporate structure: execution over planning, the infrastructure “step function” that forces constant reinvestment, and why cash flow (not just profitability) is the true survival metric in years 1–3. Shaun highlights common failure points—especially leases, poor financing structure, misunderstanding cash cycles, and underestimating the psychology of managing people. He also emphasizes the importance of mentorship, disciplined frugality early on, realistic expectations of team motivation, and the need to build a results-oriented culture. The conversation closes with actionable personal rules: do the tasks you avoid before 9 a.m., and do one uncomfortable thing every day.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-hayes-7a613813/

Timestamps

00;00;12 Why founders misjudge how badly others want to win

05;27;52 Why most businesses fail because of leases

09;07;13 How Shaun can read a business by its margins and rent ratios

14;12;56 Why business plans collapse the moment reality hits

18;10;05 The infrastructure “step” problem when scaling

24;31;44 The hard truth: not everyone wants success like you do

28;13;14 Why cash flow matters more than profit

34;14;44 The mindset shift from hourly pay to long-term payoff

43;09;49 Location traps and how bad real estate decisions kill growth

59;17;55 Two rules for success: before 9 a.m. and daily discomfort

#Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #BusinessStrategy #CashFlow #Leadership #Management #Scaling #Startups #Mentorship #Sales #PricingStrategy #RealEstateInvesting #Multifamily #PropertyManagement #Operations #FounderMindset #BusinessSystems #RiskManagement #BusinessFinance #Leasing

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

Han Ko (Sacco Group) joins Raj Tut to share his journey from being born in South Korea, immigrating to Southern California, and ultimately building his career in the St. Louis region after studying engineering at Washington University. With a background in computer science, electrical engineering, and signal processing, Han climbed the corporate ladder in the telecom industry before taking the entrepreneurial leap to build and own software products himself. Over the years, he has become an active venture capitalist and advisor, involved in 80+ companies with collective valuations exceeding $1B, while also serving in regional economic development roles and supporting entrepreneurship through mentoring and speaking engagements. The conversation centers on Han’s core investing and leadership philosophy: taking other people’s capital creates a real moral responsibility, which is why he favors full transparency, clear risk disclosure, and investors who do proper diligence upfront. Han breaks down how he identified market needs early, made a high-risk decision to resign to protect IP ownership, and learned that building a product is only half the battle—distribution, validation, and relationships are critical to closing enterprise deals. He also explains how he “accidentally” became a venture capitalist by helping friends through funding gaps, then intentionally built his finance skillset to operate professionally. The episode closes with a practical operating principle that shows up in every chapter of his story: learn aggressively from mistakes, put in your best effort with the information you have, and build a life you can look back on without regret.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠

⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠
TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with Han Ko

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/han-ko-3b8814185/

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Investor philosophy: responsibility, transparency, and disclosure
01:04 Storyboard Living sponsor message

01:35 Guest introduction and credentials overview

02:41 Han’s background: Korea to California to St. Louis via WashU

05:05 Early career: telecom engineering and moving up the corporate ladder

10:46 Selling enterprise software: production validation and due diligence lessons

11:55 Networking as the unlock for landing the first license deal

13:26 Choosing signal processing and “following the money” in grad school

14:29 After the exit: travel, restlessness, and returning to build again

15:57 Becoming an “accidental” VC by helping friends through funding gaps

17:32 Dot-com bubble context: overheated investing and lack of diligence

20:44 Building finance competence: learning valuation concepts like EBITDA

21:14 Professional growth: learning from mistakes and doing your best

29:13 Getting buyer attention: the “non-sexy” product problem

30:34 Making buyers come to you: the billboard strategy story

33:12 Helping portfolio companies: sharing mistakes and guiding decision-making

34:52 Why he’s an active investor: founder fit, communication, and empathy

39:02 Regional mission: bringing global companies to St. Louis for jobs and growth

46:42 Project phasing: historic building redevelopment and innovation ecosystem

47:34 Workforce gap: training center and trade pipeline focus

51:20 Illinois-side coordination and regional partnership efforts

53:06 Commercial real estate legacy: multi-generation background

57:02 Hole-in-one advice: do your best and live without regret

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

Ricky Shah is the Director of Kumon Chesterfield, a high-performing education franchise known for its strong enrollment and operational discipline. A former Kumon student who completed both the math and reading programs, Ricky’s story comes full circle as he eventually acquired and now leads the same center where he once studied and taught. His background spans teaching, nonprofit work, statewide political campaigns as a field organizer, and entrepreneurship through operating UPS Store franchises with his family before transitioning fully into the Kumon business.

In this conversation with Raj Tut, Ricky breaks down what it takes to scale a people-driven business: redefining delegation as a strategic growth tool, identifying the “1–3 tasks only I can do,” and systematizing everything else through hiring, training, and clear accountability. The episode also explores family business dynamics, the challenge of separating work from home life, and lessons learned from leading through disruption—especially during the COVID transition and operational crises like severe weather. Key themes include building trust through consistent communication, training for real-world scenarios, maintaining standards through culture, and leading calmly when the team looks to you for direction.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠ ⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Kumon (National Website): https://www.kumon.com/

Email: chesterfield_mo@ikumon.com

Phone: (636) 537-5522

Timestamp:

00:00 Delegation philosophy and focusing on tasks only the owner can do

01:35 Introduction to Ricky Shah and Kumon Chesterfield

02:19 Early journey as a Kumon student and love for math and learning

04:17 Post-college path through nonprofits and burnout from red tape

05:42 Transition into statewide political campaigns

07:50 What campaign work actually looks like and the role of a field organizer

09:32 Extreme work hours, pressure, and leadership lessons from politics

12:42 Shift into entrepreneurship and family business roots

15:06 Operating UPS Store franchises as a family-run business

18:29 Pros and cons of working with family and taking work home

20:46 How a Kumon center operates day-to-day

22:37 Individualized learning, fluency metrics, and student progression

25:32 Director influence vs standardized curriculum across Kumon centers

27:44 Full-circle story of acquiring the same Kumon center he grew up in

30:22 Taking over during COVID and adapting operations

32:40 Leading through disruption and maintaining calm in crises

34:22 Diagnosing learning gaps and adapting to post-COVID students

36:13 Leadership presence and why the team looks to the leader in emergencies

38:44 Hiring, training, and building accountability through systems

40:38 Transitioning from instructor mindset to director mindset

42:36 Working on the business instead of in the business

45:56 Passion, trust, and long-term student success

50:08 Deciding what to delegate and what to keep

54:20 Why Ricky personally handles parent meetings and sales conversations

55:56 “Hole in one” advice on delegation and scaling a business

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

Connect with the Guest

In this episode, we sit down with Rob Zeitler, President and Co-Founder of FLEX Payment Solutions, a family-owned B2B fintech company specializing in payment processing for niche and highly regulated industries. With over 20 years in the electronic payments space, Rob has helped build FLEX into a direct-payment processor serving sectors like consumer lending, CBD/hemp, tribal and native-owned businesses, and emerging cannabis markets, while earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for multiple consecutive years.

Rob walks Raj through his entrepreneurial journey—from funding legal settlements and building custom software without being a programmer, to exiting that first venture, joining his family’s lending business, and eventually launching FLEX to solve real-world payment pain points. He explains how FLEX built a moat around compliance and regulation in “high-risk” markets, why they’ve leaned into hyper-focused niches like tribal lending and cannabis, and how EOS-style systems have allowed him to stay in the visionary seat instead of doing everything himself. Along the way, Rob shares his philosophy on hiring people smarter than you, preparing the next generation of his family to join the business, the future of compliant cannabis payments, and his “hole in one” advice: don’t be afraid to ask for help, give without expecting something in return, and surround yourself with people who make you better.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠ ⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/ ⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

Rob’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-z-9524273/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flex-payment-solutions

Email: rob@flexpaymentsolutions.com

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Opening & Introduction to Rob Zeitler

05:10 Rob’s First Business and Early Entrepreneurial Lessons

10:20 Transition to the Family Lending Business

15:30 Discovering Payment Innovations & The Spark for FLEX

20:40 Entering Regulated & Niche Markets (Lending, CBD, Hemp)

25:50 Working With Native American Tribes

1:00 Technical Challenges, Compliance & Operating in High-Risk Industries

36:10 Hiring the Right People & Learning Not to Do Everything

41:20 Implementing EOS and Stepping Into the Visionary Role

46:30 The Future of FLEX & Cannabis Payments

51:40 Rob’s “Hole in One” Advice

56:50 How to Connect With Rob & Episode Closing

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

Jason King is the Director of Real Estate and Impact Investing for Lewis and Clark Holdings, the Hillman family office, where he oversees investments across real estate, clean energy, affordable housing and tax-related strategies. Over his career, Jason has invested close to $1 billion across more than 4,000 multifamily units, student housing, industrial, and medical office properties. He shares how his path from rural Michigan to urban planning, affordable housing development in Chicago, and ultimately landing in St. Louis shaped his empathetic, community-focused approach to capital allocation.

In this conversation, Jason and Raj dive into how family offices think about risk, partners, and long-term holds; why tax credits and clean energy are powerful but complex tools; and how Lewis and Clark evaluates deals across multifamily, industrial, senior housing and solar. Jason unpacks a case study in innovative skilled nursing (“cottage” model vs legacy facilities), explains why reputation and alignment with partners are non-negotiable, and talks candidly about the challenges and opportunities in St. Louis—transit, density, regional collaboration, and downtown perception. They also explore where development still pencils, which asset types look compelling over the next 10–20 years, and Jason’s “hole in one” advice: there’s no such thing as a good deal with a bad partner.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/
Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with our Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-king-1239244/

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00:00 How Jason approaches research, expertise, and networking when entering new asset classes

00:01:03 Jason’s background: rural Michigan, urban planning, affordable housing, and career path before St. Louis

00:07:05 Early real estate lessons: managing zoning hearings and navigating diverse stakeholder interests

00:10:19 Jason’s perspective on St. Louis: strengths, challenges, and regional collaboration

00:14:32 What Lewis & Clark Holdings is and how a family office operates

00:16:09 Understanding tax credits, affordable housing finance, and the move into clean energy

00:23:35 Real estate strategy: acquisitions vs development, long-term holds, partner selection, and risk

00:27:17 Case study: the “cottage model” skilled nursing investment and how COVID validated it

00:38:34 Asset classes for the next decade: multifamily, shallow-bay industrial, data centers, and solar

00:56:29 Jason’s hole-in-one advice: there’s no such thing as a good deal with a bad partner

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

Amit Kothari is the founder & CEO of Tallyfy, an AI-driven startup focused on helping companies document, track, and continuously improve their processes. Born in Kenya, raised in London, and now calling St. Louis home, Amit’s path runs from flipping rare stamps to pay off university debt, to poetry, to a decade consulting on process improvement—before launching his current company. Grants first took him to Chile to MVP the idea, then to St. Louis, where he built a fully remote team serving customers worldwide.

The conversation dives into Toyota-style continuous improvement applied to office work; why onboarding (employees and clients) is a high-leverage process; and how generative AI finally made “right product, right time” possible by auto-drafting SOPs and migrating PDFs into runnable workflows. Amit shares tactics for async, global teams; transparent, GDP-adjusted pricing; keeping moats via customer love, not just features; and a future where AI + robotics tackle physical tasks. His closing advice: skip the flashy fad—solve “unsexy,” real problems people actually feel every day.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/
⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitkoth/

Timestamps:

00:00 Amit’s early insight: people struggle at work because they lack clear processes
01:30 Introducing Amit and his company’s mission
02:50 Personal background: Kenya → London → Computer Science
03:55 Paying off university debt through rare stamp flipping
05:40 Creative years in poetry, art, and exploration
07:00 Startup origin: Chile grant → moving to St. Louis with Arch Grants
10:40 The core problem: documenting vs actually improving processes
14:15 Improving employee onboarding and why it affects culture and productivity
25:10 How AI finally unlocked scalable SOP & workflow creation
39:25 Running a global remote team & building culture asynchronously
51:30 The future: AI + physical automation (robots)
56:59 Final advice: Solve the “unsexy” real problems people ignore

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com

Connect with us at our Website:

https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/