Real Estate, AI, and the Power of Masterminds with Andy Babala

Christian (00:01.069)
Hey everybody, welcome back to the show. Today we have an incredible guest, Andy, a seasoned businessman, investor, and professional business advisor with a wealth of experience in real estate investment and development and AI. He’s the founder of Glimview Mastermind. Andy has built a thriving community where business leaders and entrepreneurs come together to exchange strategies and scale their success. Beyond real estate, he is also leading expert in AI implementation.

marketing automation, helping businesses streamline operations and drive growth in today’s fast paced digital landscape. And this episode, we’re going to dive into his journey, his mastermind approach and how AI is revolutionizing the business world. So if you’re an entrepreneur looking for innovative ways, innovative ways to grow, you’re not going to want to miss this episode. without further ado, Andy, welcome to the show. My friend, I’m super excited to talk with you today about everything. And why don’t you just introduce to the audience who you are.

your background and just ultimately how you got here.

Andy Babala (01:01.806)
Welcome Christian, thank you very much for this opportunity. My background is really corporate and that’s what I spent most of the time, almost 30 years. However, I came to the United States when I was about 18. After that, I figured I need to…

gain more education. I actually went back to Poland, finished my former education and it was in medical field, it was a physical therapy field and that’s where I spent probably first about six years after coming to the United States. So I worked in a different

specialty clinics which were workmen’s come but I also was exposed working in a hospital settings, so that was really really rewarding but I figured that at some point I really was displeased with where the healthcare is going in a in a United States with the big pharma and Really needed a change. So my change was

I still needed to get my MBA at that time. I figured, well, working as a security officer, that’s going to be an easy way to do. I’m going to have time to read and study. I only worked as a security officer maybe for two months. After that, I got an assignment with a great organization. It was called Bern Security at that point, which was bought out by Securitas. But I was exposed to

a Motorola account. at that time in Chicagoland area Motorola had a really big presence. We were servicing about eight different spaces between the manufacturing as well as as really offices for them. So that was my path with progressing and really honing on on

Andy Babala (03:14.048)
organizational excellence from the perspective of training officers and really doing it at the scale through the office. Right after that I switched into corporate assignments and I have been very privileged from that perspective, quite lucky.

I started working for the company called the Pampered Chef. And it was at the time when Warren Buffett actually purchased that organization into his portfolio. So over the next 15 years, I was really exposed to the really, really great mindsets, great leaders in that organization. And I know that

Even getting the MBA through school, you really are not going to be successful if you’re not going to surround yourself by the great leaders and you are not working for the really good organization.

And I was mainly doing this from the physical security perspective, which really, really turned into cyber security perspective more. But I really wanted to stay within the physical security. Unfortunately.

that was not really a big aspect of what Pumperchef was doing. We’ve been doing a lot of events and incentive trips, so that was great. But at some point we overtook the environmental health and safety, so that was a really, really big aspect of what I have been exposed to through the corporations. Really governmental compliance and

Andy Babala (05:06.498)
reporting to general counsel of the organization really was the path to understanding a lot of different business problems as well as from a crime perspective. I was really exposed to a lot of specifically white collar crimes and

Christian (05:33.709)
Mm-hmm.

Andy Babala (05:35.48)
That was my path. After that, started, well, like every many of the real estate investors, I started reading Robert Kiyosaki books. And that was my journey. It took a while, but since I have been firmly in a technology, that was my path as well. if somebody is looking to

gain more information about the technology. can recommend one guy who’s got a great podcast and has been doing this for many, years. So at that point I started listening to Leo Laporte, who’s got a twit show. And through that, I actually was exposed and found Clayton Morris, who at that time was working for the Fox and

At that point he started also his Morris Invest Corporation where they were doing basically turnkey properties for the investors. At that point I had some money put aside from my retirement accounts but I figured, you know what, let me learn more.

Christian (07:01.654)
Yep.

Andy Babala (07:02.688)
I went through all the plethora of education and really local real estate investment groups, but then listening to bigger pockets, that was really great exposure and finding the way to how I can do it on my own or with my family. having a growing family, it’s been tough. I’m not saying it’s been a…

Easy journey because nobody is that great with the real estate investments. You really need to build that team. You really need to surround yourself by professionals that can help you. And my path was through really various mastermind groups and specifically started with wholesaling.

And from that point, I teamed up with a local Chicago REA group that is basically teaching how to acquire single family houses, which for me, it was a good start because you really need to understand at least one asset class of the real estate and then you can scale up from that perspective.

Christian (08:23.565)
Thank

Andy Babala (08:30.23)
I really met a lot of great friends, created several different good partnerships and you just need to understand what are your strengths, right? My strengths at that point were really automation and making sure that the systems are working well. I did explore that farther. creating partnerships with those that actually had…

Christian (08:43.169)
Mm-hmm.

Andy Babala (08:59.874)
more funds to invest. That’s how I learned about using other people’s money as well as becoming a private money lender myself. And that created all those opportunities. Few years later, I figured, well, I will not do something more commercial and self storage was a…

a way to do it at the higher scale and for me it did make a lot of sense, know, not dealing with the toilets and tenants problems. However, even with that asset class, the most important is how you’re really running your business. For me, when I started, it was I promised my wife, I promised my kids that, I’m gonna be doing this only part-time.

And unfortunately, the real estate’s got the way to pull you in. So really from maybe dedicating maybe two hours per week at the beginning, you know, it then switched to maybe five hours a week, then 10 hours a week. And at that point, I still was working at another corporation.

Christian (10:04.002)
yeah.

Andy Babala (10:24.386)
which was a manufacturing place in Chicago. I really wanted to see that exposure to those individuals that maybe I can help as a real estate broker as well. And started doing consultations and advisory practice from that perspective. So, however, creating the Glenview Mastermind.

I think it’s something that I can recommend to anybody because it’s so easy to accomplish right now, especially when you do have a small following and you always been truthful to those individuals. building trust between partners, that is the toughest part, but it’s something that you almost have to achieve before becoming a

leader and specifically from that perspective. Reading a lot of books and listening to great investors like Warren Buffett and then Charlie Munger. I like Charlie’s approach with, I call it a suidity, which is sitting on your butt, really understanding what you’re going to be investing in.

Everybody can achieve that. You know, can do maybe two, three, maybe relatively risky investments in your life. But, that is the path that I took. And my risk is one is right now creating those mastermind programs and really empowering others with the great information. You can find that information on a lot of YouTube channels or podcasts, but staying

consistently with your vision and really crafting that vision for yourself. It’s probably the most important, I would say even more important than getting yourself involved in risky investments.

Christian (12:33.229)
Wow, Andy, your journey is, that’s an incredible journey. I mean, that’s, it sounds like you’ve been, there’s so many different avenues and so many different spaces. And the fact that you’re here now, I mean, building something that you’re passionate about doing, that’s what it is. And I know you said something that it’s really about partnerships, right? It’s being able to communicate to people and build trust with partnerships. It’s really gonna get you ahead for the long term and provide, you know, an immense amount of opportunities with whatever business model you’re trying to create, right? So.

I’m interested to talk about transition here, you know, about AI, right? We all know AI is transforming all industries across the globe right now. How do you see AI implementation impacting, you know, current business operations and what are maybe just some practical ways entrepreneurs can leverage it? And maybe we can talk about how you leverage AI as well.

Andy Babala (13:23.96)
So absolutely, I see that over the next two, three years, yeah, there will be a lot of professionals losing jobs. So that was one of the reasons I did not.

go back to the corporation over the last two years and really hone on creating my own educational programs because you can scale it up so easy. My path at the beginning was really leveraging virtual assistants and I really compare the services of virtual assistants with AI agents and AI bots right now.

Christian (13:41.933)
Mm-hmm.

Andy Babala (14:07.856)
You just need to give them a good SOP. You really need to train them well and and those automation is becoming so prevalent with with any aspect of what what we’ll be doing one kind of change from that perspective I did understood that We’re gonna be living in a quite abundant

world from that perspective. However, the mindset of a lot of individuals and even my neighbors or friends, yeah, there is some scarcity from that perspective. So that’s why I did make a decision that my company is going to be really thriving on a technology and marketing.

marketing was something that I was exposed at pamper chef and Really never did that myself. So there were some skills that I had to really learn and and that’s why I really spent the last year on on creating those those programs and creating those structures but just to give advice to Those that are not leveraging

AI right now in their operations. You know what you can probably survive you’re still gonna be fine over the next 5-10 years but you are not gonna be super successful with scaling up your operations and

It’s going to be very, very tough because you’re to have those younger generations. I consider you definitely younger than me, but really the information is there. Those that will understand that process and start leveraging it are going to be really on top of that food chain from that perspective. And that’s why I have created

Christian (15:49.901)
you

Christian (15:58.029)
Yeah.

Andy Babala (16:17.868)
Glenview mastermind to just talk with other business owners talk with other investors and really showing those those opportunities from Really AI perspective. I see this as a as a new wave like, you know when internet was was starting I was on a forefront so like creating web pages and that and really educating my my friends from from that perspective, but this wave is it’s probably so much bigger and and really

It’s gonna be revolutionary with how we actually live and how we leverage those…

robots that are will be coming over the next two, three years. and I’m really specifically, I’ve seen it from, from the safety and security perspective in organizations where leveraging AI cameras and, really getting that information about studying people movements and, and behaviors. It’s, it’s so easy to accomplish right now. Yeah.

Do I have some concerns about those technologies getting into bad hands? Yes, absolutely. But that’s why I am on the side that I’d rather educate individuals about those opportunities right now.

to make sure that they start leveraging them in their businesses, in their operations as quickly as possible. So those are my programs specifically teaching about that.

Christian (18:00.151)
That’s great. So let’s talk about maybe just some specifics on what you are teaching inside of Glimview Mastermind, right? Maybe there’s some type of high level overview that you could give to the audience of what you provide as far as steps, actionable steps, if you will, that you’re taking with people that join Glimview.

Andy Babala (18:17.378)
Yeah, so I work with the real estate brokers as well as investors and I am really matching those two.

together because investors can create a separate organization that will empower the real estate brokers to use that technology. basically it’s like running a small marketing agency. It’s that type of a business. Those are the programs that I have created for those individuals.

technology is changing very quickly and I’ve seen it from various perspectives. Not every system is gonna be super successful or comprehensive, but now I’m working with the systems that are very, very comprehensive and can accomplish basically everything for those real estate brokers to really find properties right now that are

not only on MLS, but since my path was with the wholesaling, really looking for the opportunities that are off market, working with a lot of other brokers and attorneys. And I see that wave of a silver tsunami. And I think that you are familiar with that concept, that there will be a lot of…

Christian (19:48.493)
Yeah.

Andy Babala (19:52.158)
assets exchanged, a lot of assets will be lost and unfortunately I am just preparing myself for that transition so I work with those that understand those concepts and really want to

work with me on those opportunities and from the single family houses I really see a lot of potential in a commercial space right now so we do some syndications as well and basically putting the projects together that

I still want to build a city or a village that I am working very hard on and I will be really premiering that probably quarter three of this year.

That’s going to be my path, really surrounding myself by professionals, by investors that do have probably over 10 million to invest in a real estate at this point. So that’s my target audience. But I’m also working with the business owners to improve their operations. So any type of business that provides services for the homeowners or specifically for investors as well.

I can take you from that point A to point B and really show you how to leverage those systems. And it’s not only systems, it’s a commitment, it’s your mindset as well to understand the opportunities that exist. So that is what I really show and teach. I am expecting to be doing more.

Christian (21:34.327)
Mm-hmm.

Andy Babala (21:47.662)
front-facing information through other websites that I have acquired and would be really creating this as a group of professionals that…

want to achieve something in their life. and real estate is the path for me. However, I do have, I basically teach health, wealth and relationships and relationships are defined more as partnerships to avoid basically toxic relationships as well because those exist. if you are gonna get with the investor that really does

Christian (22:24.589)
Hmm.

Yes.

Andy Babala (22:33.066)
not appreciate what the real estate broker is doing for them, yeah you can get into bad circles and really unhappy thoughts are coming on from that perspective and I am clearly defining that inside of the Glenview Mastermind.

Christian (22:55.265)
That’s incredible. That’s incredible, Andy. I’m really excited to see what you put together here. And guys, if you’re not learning a lot by now, I don’t know what to tell you, but I’m definitely learning a lot myself. And it’s incredible imperative that you do get adapted to what’s going to be happening in the new landscape of AI. I 100 % agree. There is going to be a lot of change. So I think positioning yourself for this now, for the next 10 to 15 years, mean, things aren’t going to go back to where they were.

I mean, it’s only gonna go forward in a different way. So just adjusting yourself and positioning yourself for this now is 100 % gonna be the best idea for your business. But Andy, I wish we could talk honestly for another hour on this. I know you could do it because you just seem so knowledgeable as far as these aspects goes with AI and just business overall. But Andy, why don’t you just tell the audience how they can find you, how can they work with you?

Andy Babala (23:34.741)
Yeah.

Andy Babala (23:50.67)
So, like I said, professional business advisory practices is something that I converted over the last two years. So there are opportunities, those are paid programs, but I also have a grow connection. It’s a really free entry right now until the Q3 of this year.

and I am switching this into specific clubs. So I see that I have created a club for the homeowners. I created a club specifically for the service providers so they can get exposed to the path that I am creating because I definitely am looking for more operators. I am looking for great property management organizations that

that do understand how to leverage systems and I will be showing those business owners how to really leverage scheduling and really teaching. So I do also a lot of corporate…

corporate teaching and I can put a lot of different programs specifically for brokers and managing brokers to re-empower their teams with the right tools, right technology. I am currently a broker in Glenview with Berkshire Hathaway organization and

You know, we do have plenty of marketing education, marketing programs, and I see that this group of brokers actually do understand how to leverage the technology, how to leverage marketing. But my path was also…

Andy Babala (25:46.72)
Since I was in a security and safety, I was never really like a front-facing person myself. So really branding and marketing, well, yes, you need to put yourself out there and you really need to allow others to hear your message, craft your mission statements well, know, spend some time on it.

really define what is important to you, especially if you want to empower others from the knowledge perspective. And I really treat this as a knowledge business. I can really show others how to create their own programs, how to create their own masterminds, so they can surround themselves with the great operators, potentially great friends, and…

I am also starting my… I didn’t define the name of how that wing of the organization is gonna happen, but I really treat that Glenview Mastermind as a…

Business and Life Skills Academy, Business Incubator and Business Accelerator. I am currently raising funds for two separate private equity funds. Those are gonna be basically the fuel. One is gonna be specifically for the same way as I was doing.

with the private money lending, probably a little bit more hard money type of opportunities. But since I do have a lot of exposure into healthcare, I am gonna be working with biotech organizations that really want to invest in the infrastructure, invest in various wellness clinics.

Andy Babala (27:48.194)
This is what I am taking the path to be really building a lot of those type of places where individuals can learn, can regenerate themselves, but also work on their body because a strong mindset does not happen without having a strong body. the one person that I have been following for

Christian (28:11.053)
That’s right.

Andy Babala (28:17.048)
Probably last two years, it’s a no-die movement from…

I really don’t want to say the name because it’s another entrepreneur but he created great programs and I love really a lot of other individuals that really producing content on YouTube and really providing the great information. I do have some resources specifically written under my credibility website

is www.antibabala.com. you go to the resources you will see various podcasts and other individuals that I have been following from either self-stored perspective or already from the perspective of multifamily investments and really as well as one another recommendation for the investors if you are not reading

Warren Buffett’s annual letter to investors. Please start doing that. You will learn so much just by reading those on an annual basis. Ponder on it a little bit. I have been doing that for almost 20 years and that’s been the source of, you know, really sometimes you’ve got that gut feeling, you know, where stuff is going.

Christian (29:46.219)
Mm-hmm.

Andy Babala (29:49.002)
and getting that information allows you to really make more

Decisions that are not gonna hurt your community, that not gonna hurt your family and really gain a great knowledge from others that been on that path as well. So that’s why masterminding and really working with other investors or really talking with other investors, it’s almost a must for starting individuals

that really want to be successful in a real estate. There are so many mistakes that you can make. Talk with those that already made those mistakes and really learn from them. Avoid those mistakes and strategize. Plan ahead. You always should have a plan for your life, like one year plan, five year plan, and 10 year strategy.

And it’s hard to do when you are, you know, in your 20s or 30s and you see so many opportunities and you’re just jumping into from one perspective to another, now I’m gonna do Bitcoin, now I’m gonna do this. It’s, you really need to define that strategy, but really what’s gonna take place with the AI.

I really need to warn a lot of people that if you’re not gonna leverage your organization or if you’re working for the company that prevents you from using AI as a extra set of information, that company is not gonna be…

Andy Babala (31:47.81)
you know, in business probably for the next year or two, because there’ll be other organizations that will start leveraging this. They will potentially hire those operators that do leverage technology and automation. So this is kind of a warning, but it is also a path for a lot of individuals that are younger.

really surround yourself by leaders, surround yourself through mentoring programs because many organizations provide that as well and learn from other people’s

Christian (32:31.117)
Absolutely. I couldn’t agree anymore Andy you’ve been providing just an immense amount of value on this show and I can just say I appreciate it so much I know our audience is gonna appreciate it as well guys. Definitely be sure to check out Andy We’re gonna be leaving his socials and where you can find him in a descriptions in our YouTube as well But Andy again, thank you so much for your time today. I definitely had a pleasurable experience talking with you today

Andy Babala (32:55.298)
Thank you very much. Have a great day.

Christian (32:57.119)
Absolutely. Well guys, as always, we will see you on the next episode and as always, take care everybody.