What if the side hustle you've been sleeping on could replace your six-figure salary and give you your time back?

In this revealing conversation, Alejandra Rojas sits down with Ryan Shaw, former pharmacist turned full-time real estate investor, to break down how he turned student housing into $55,000 per month in passive income. This isn't about flipping properties or chasing appreciation—it's about strategic rent-by-the-room investing that doubles your rental income and builds generational wealth on autopilot.

Together, they explore how Ryan went from working double shifts as a pharmacist to building a 14-property portfolio that funds his life with just three hours of work per week. From navigating the chaos of COVID shutdowns to leveraging word-of-mouth marketing on college campuses, Ryan shares the exact strategies he used to scale his side hustle into a business that replaced his corporate income.

This episode is a masterclass in building wealth through real estate without needing hundreds of thousands in capital. Whether you're exploring your first investment property, trying to scale your portfolio, or wondering if real estate is even possible for you, this conversation will shift how you see passive income, leverage, and the power of starting small to build big.

Important Links:

👉🏾 Join us and access more grants + exclusive stories in our newsletter: brownwaytomoney.substack.com

👉🏾 Subscribe + Review

👉🏾 Follow Alejandra Rojas: www.brownwaytomoney.com/LinkedIN

👉🏾 Subscribe to Side Hustles IRL: New episodes drop every Sunday

Key Takeaways:

• Rent-by-the-room student housing can double your rental income compared to traditional single-family rentals
• You don't need hundreds of thousands to start—some programs offer zero down payment options
• House hacking allows you to live in one room and rent out the others with as little as 3% down
• Ryan started with just one property a year and scaled to 14 properties in 10 years
• During COVID, flexibility and direct communication with tenants saved his business from collapse
• Offering current tenants $25 per showing and $25 per signed lease creates powerful word-of-mouth marketing
• Invest near top-tier colleges with growing enrollment to ensure consistent demand
• Student housing is more affordable than on-campus options—position yourself as the budget-friendly alternative
• Building a local reputation on college campuses creates a moat around your business
• Ryan now spends only 3 hours per week managing his portfolio after building systems and hiring a team

Subscribe + Share CTA:

Loved this episode? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and send it to three women in your circle who are ready to explore real estate investing as a path to financial freedom. This is the side hustle blueprint you've been waiting for.

Keep walking your Brown Way to Money.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.