In this episode of the Hustle Harder Show, host James Gaskin sits down with Andy Pollock, the veteran lending leader spearheading Renovo Financial’s California expansion. With nearly 40 years in the industry, Andy shares invaluable lessons from his career, his passion for building teams, and the mission of bringing Renovo’s unique people-first, locally driven model to the West Coast.

Key Points from This Episode

00:00 – Introduction: Hustle Harder in San Francisco

01:30 – Meet Andy Pollock: Lending legend with 40 years of experience

02:20 – Andy’s start in lending and learning through mistakes

04:40 – Climbing to CEO—and why he prefers being #2

06:40 – What keeps Andy hungry after all these years

08:00 – Why humility and sincerity matter at Renovo

11:50 – California expansion: vision, products, and Renovo’s edge

14:25 – What “decentralized” really means

18:00 – Building trust in a mature, competitive market

20:47 – The five-market California blueprint

23:22 – Respect for real estate entrepreneurs and the value of perseverance

27:16 – Why California is key to Renovo’s national ambitions

31:58 – What kind of leaders Renovo California needs

36:02 – Building something from scratch vs. fixing what’s broken

39:43 – The challenge of recruiting great talent—and the upside

44:09 – Why now is the moment for first movers

50:39 – “Powered by Renovo”: What it really means

52:16 – The importance of culture and the Renovo flywheel

59:38 – The opportunity for growth in a highly competitive landscape

1:01:41 – RenovoPalooza, longevity, and being part of something bigger

1:07:48 – Final thoughts: A legacy worth building

Links

Renovo Financial - https://renovofinancial.com/

James Gaskin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gaskin-b675593/

Andrew Pollock on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-pollock-4b46825

In this powerful and inspiring episode, Devin Ramos shares his journey from a 15-year career in the military—including time as a Green Beret—to becoming a full-time real estate investor and co-founder of a growing residential cleaning business, Maid in America. Devin opens up about the internal shift that led him from military service to entrepreneurship, the trials of his first BRRRR deal, and the lessons learned from scaling both a real estate operation and a service business.

He and James explore the overlap between leadership, service, and entrepreneurship—diving into topics like marketing mistakes, building a team, navigating business with your spouse, and what it means to stay focused during uncertain market conditions.

This episode is packed with strategy, reflection, and entrepreneurial wisdom from someone who’s been through the trenches—literally and figuratively.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Devin transitioned from a 15-year military career into full-time real estate investing
• Why a service-first mindset and strong values can drive business success
• The reality of starting with little capital and scaling through creative deal-making
• What a “novation” deal is and how it compares to wholesaling and flipping
• The importance of cashflow and how Devin used a cleaning business to fuel real estate investments
• Lessons from managing two businesses at once—and how to stay focused without burning out
• Why discipline, margin, and strategy matter more than volume in today’s market
• How Devin and his wife grew a residential cleaning company with national potential

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

0:56 – Devin’s background: Small-town roots, military service, and discovering his desire to serve

5:30 – Entering Special Forces and grappling with career/life purpose

10:40 – A pivotal mindset shift around money, freedom, and retirement

13:10 – Faith, family, and the role of values in business decisions

18:43 – Starting in real estate: Rich Dad Poor Dad, BiggerPockets, and learning by doing

24:29 – From one BRRRR to 40 deals a year: Building the real estate business

27:15 – What’s a "novation" and when does it make sense?

30:32 – Creative problem solving: A multi-family deal using sub-to and wholesaling

34:57 – Balancing two businesses: Real estate and residential cleaning

37:55 – Launching “Maid in America” cleaning company with his wife

42:06 – Scaling the cleaning business while reinvesting in real estate

49:11 – Devin’s current focus: High-margin deals and replicating business units

54:06 – Navigating burnout, risk, and learning to slow down

57:25 – Where to find Devin online and learn about his podcast

Links

Devin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-ramos-602a811ab

James Gaskin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gaskin-b675593/

Renovo Financial - https://renovofinancial.com/

In this inspiring episode, James sits down with Dean Rogers—former NFL player turned powerhouse real estate investor and community builder. Dean shares his raw and powerful journey, from living the dream as a San Diego Charger to walking away from football for the sake of his health, to starting from scratch and building a thriving real estate empire in Central California. Dean opens up about hitting rock bottom, losing $187K on a single deal, and the lessons that shaped his comeback. He also discusses the origin and explosive growth of Deal Champs, the community he co-founded to empower investors with collaboration and abundance.

Whether you're chasing financial freedom or building something from the ground up, this episode is packed with insights, grit, and motivation.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why Dean walked away from a 3-year NFL contract and the mental toll it took
• The painful reality of transitioning into the corporate world with a $65K salary
• How Dean discovered real estate and landed his first wholesale deal with no money
• Lessons from losing six figures in bad deals—and how he bounced back
• The birth of Deal Champs and how it grew into a national real estate movement
• Why investing in yourself and asking for help can shortcut years of pain
• How Dean’s family and freedom mindset fuel his hustle every day

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome to the show + intro to Dean Rogers

0:44 – Dean's NFL to real estate highlight reel

3:05 – The full story: getting to the NFL the hard way

12:05 – NFL locker room culture & wild competitiveness

22:42 – Why Dean walked away from football at his peak

29:19 – From 7-figure NFL contract to $65K salary in SF

35:46 – Losing $100K in house flips & lessons in grit

43:13 – “Better to do no deal than a bad deal”

46:33 – Gaining skills: sales, accounting, leadership

53:47 – Realizing the power of coaching & mentorship

57:08 – The origin of Friends With Benefits (wholesale model)

1:04:25 – Building Deal Champs and scaling the community

1:11:23 – Dean’s family, his “why,” and a life of freedom

Links

Renovo Financial - https://renovofinancial.com/

James Gaskin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gaskin-b675593/