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Show Summary
In this episode of the Investor Fuel Podcast, host Leo Wehdeking interviews Paulie D Duguay, a prominent figure in the commercial real estate sector. Paulie shares insights into his focus on alternative commercial lending, his international ventures, and the importance of transparency in building relationships. He discusses his recent achievements, including being recognized as a top visionary entrepreneur and his plans for future growth, including opening consulting offices in the Philippines. The conversation highlights the challenges faced in real estate and the significance of personal branding and networking.
Resources and Links from this show:
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- Investor Fuel Real Estate Mastermind
- Investor Machine Real Estate Lead Generation
- Mike on Facebook
- Mike on Instagram
- Mike on LinkedIn
- Paulie Duguay on LinkedIn
Listen to the Audio Version of this Episode
Investor Fuel Show Transcript:
Paulie D Duguay (00:00)
Well, this one in particular, the developer guy reached out to me and just start out on LinkedIn. That’s all that was. I had no idea that he had contacted me for a few days and everything because I don’t get on LinkedIn as much as I want to and everything. So he reached out to me. We were talking back and forth via DMs and everything. And he told me about what and I actually I did I think if I remember correctly,I asked him what projects is he working on right now or wanting to do this year of 2025. So he sent me the pitch deck, the executive summary of the deal, this and that and everything. That got me up to date on everything about the construction project. It’s gonna consist of a total of 35 luxury villa units on a beachside resort in
the Palawan Islands of the Philippines.
Leo Wehdeking (02:27)
Hey everyone, welcome to the Investor Fuel Podcast. I’m your host Leo Wehdeking and today I am joined by someone I’ve been looking forward to chatting with, Paulie, who’s been making serious moves in the real estate industry. Paulie, glad to have you here, man.Paulie D Duguay (02:41)
Hi everybody, name is Paulie Duguay.Leo Wehdeking (02:42)
AlrightNice nice nice nice Paulie. Paulie I think that our listeners are really going to take something away from how you’ve been handling and approaching your real estate business. So for people who may not be familiar with your world, can you give us the short version on what’s your main focus these days?
Paulie D Duguay (03:03)
In it basically in the alternative commercial lending arena of space affair everything where we’re doing consulting with with business clients that in are involved in real estate transaction real estate development projects Maybe deals that don’t get approved with like with their with their traditional lenders and everything They come to people like people like me and everything and we they come to our firms and all that so that’s that’s pretty much in in the short text of thingsLeo Wehdeking (03:31)
Alright, cool cool. And Paulie, in what markets are you operating in?Paulie D Duguay (03:36)
I primarily I just in the come in the commercial space commercial real estate development space right now. You know that can that can consist of like you know subsectors of like you know retirement facilities healthcare facilities. Comber commercial real estate retail strip strip plazas. Car washes even rent ranch restaurant franchise stuff like that I’ve got.I’ve got right now a client that is basically he’s a he purchased a franchise brand of Godfather’s Pizza. So he wants and he bought that for a whole zip code in Tennessee, in Franklin County of Tennessee and everything. So that when I did the research about how many cities are in that zip code, there’s about 12 cities in that zip code. So he wants to have
Godfather’s Pizza restaurant location in each of those cities within within a five to seven year ⁓ Roadmap, so that’s one of my clients in the restaurant industries I’ve got mostly primarily like a lot of multi-family mix mixed use commercial real estate development projects stuff like that
Leo Wehdeking (05:31)
Okay, love it. Love it, Paulie, actually something that really caught my attention about you. What’s the way that you’ve been able to help people, you know, through your leadership and and and also with your transparency. Now, that’s actually not pretty easy to do nowadays. Can you be able to tell us and dive dive in a little bit? Okay, how you’ve been able to achieve that?Paulie D Duguay (05:56)
I have been able to get that undertaking and underway and everything is because I actually recently back in the beginning that the end of May and beginning of May and all that and end of April and everything. I got accepted by the marquees who’s who are merging leaders association. And when I told them my story and everything, they selected me and approved approved my application, all that good stuff. And that basicallyopened up a tremendous amount of doors for me that I still haven’t opened up yet. so that basically, you know, folded, know, my my brand, my brand that I want to build and everything the Poli De Gua brand of what he’s capable of, what he has access to in his network, this and that and everything. Also, last month, I just
got nominated by this Dubai Media Publications Magazine Company as October’s top 20 visionary entrepreneur professionals. So for the month of October and all that, we’re going to have all that. They already have it all drafted and all done and everything. So that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing next month and everything. The professional newsletter and all that good stuff and everything.
You know, and in a way I think that’s gonna, that’s gonna build up my international profile right there.
Leo Wehdeking (07:13)
Alright. Yeah, you know something that actually caught one of the topics that you were talking about that actually caught my attention Is that you are also an international is that also you you make international deals, right? You were talking to me about a deal that you’re about to close in the Philippines right now. Am I correct? All right, can’t can’t Can you tell the audience how you’ve been able to acquire all these international deals?Paulie D Duguay (07:30)
Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. Right.Well, this one in particular, the developer guy reached out to me and just start out on LinkedIn. That’s all that was. I had no idea that he had contacted me for a few days and everything because I don’t get on LinkedIn as much as I want to and everything. So he reached out to me. We were talking back and forth via DMs and everything. And he told me about what and I actually I did I think if I remember correctly,
I asked him what projects is he working on right now or wanting to do this year of 2025. So he sent me the pitch deck, the executive summary of the deal, this and that and everything. That got me up to date on everything about the construction project. It’s gonna consist of a total of 35 luxury villa units on a beachside resort in
the Palawan Islands of the Philippines.
If anybody’s familiar with the Palawan Islands of the Philippines, that’s where it’s gonna be located at and everything. Now, however, with this deal and everything, it’s gonna consist of two forms of financing where it’s a total of $75 million, okay, breaking it down into two types of financing, what’s required for it. The first 37.5 million is gonna be
commercial debt financing and then the other 30 to 37.5 million is going to be equity investor financing. So that’s how things we look at. We look for international investors, US based investors, all that that would be interested in purchasing one of those 35 luxury villas and everything. Yes. Right.
Leo Wehdeking (09:21)
units. Luxury vellas exactly.Paulie D Duguay (10:00)
Now I don’t know what they’re going to consist of, you know, if they’re two bedroom, one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom, those details were not in the executive summary. So I do have my colleagues right now that has access to like commercial debt lenders. He’s got private equity investor networks. He’s got family offices. He’s got hedge funds of investors and everything. So there’s a lot ofstronghold in that in this deal that that can that can do the deal and everything so they’re ready to move on it like Right now as we speak and everything I do have a meeting with him tomorrow via zoom with the client in the Philippines and all that to go over a lot of like the the different tax policies that the u.s. Has has to abide by the lending policies with with what it’s with its lenders and everything and then also the the Philippine laws and everything of how
we, have to be on, on an agreement page of things and everything. So that’s, that’s my one in international, my, actually my very first submitted deal that I’m working on that’s in the Philippines. And it was funny because I’m actually half Filipino myself. I’m half Filipino. My mother was born in Manila, So I thought it was a home run strike basically when, when, when I, said, I got it, I got it. I got to do this file. I really have to.
Leo Wehdeking (11:17)
Exactly. All right. All right. Now, Paulie, ⁓ I know that every operator has a moment where things got real. All right. Maybe a deal that went sideways or a time that you had to pivot really fast. Do you mind sharing one of those moments?Paulie D Duguay (11:31)
Ohyeah, plenty of them. Oh yeah. I mean, I will be honest with you back in one T 20 20, no, 20, 23, and then a little bit of 2024 of last year, I had, I had a lot of deals that, did not get completed and everything. There was, there was about, there was about, I think about 15 deals and everything. If I had to really count my finger on and everything. Yeah, they, they, they just don’t, they don’t get, they don’t get
You know, they don’t go through there. They’re not qualified, you know, for lending. the client, you know, doesn’t have like, they have like a really thin profile of their, of their finances, just stuff like that. they happen, they happen. So, that, happened, that, it just, it just, you just keep basically just keep going. You just keep going ⁓ on and on and everything.
Leo Wehdeking (12:17)
All right, all right. Yeah, actually, that’s, you know, that’s the kind of stuff that that people don’t like to talk enough these days, you know. ⁓ But I think, you know, this is my personal opinion. That’s what separates people or folks who just dabble from the one who stay in game long term. You know what you’re doing. All right. That’s good. That’s good, man. Now, let me ask you something. Now, what are you most focused on solving or scaling next?Paulie D Duguay (12:26)
Yeah.What, what, what am I focused on solving and scaling next and everything? that what you said?
Leo Wehdeking (12:49)
Yeah.Paulie D Duguay (12:49)
Okay. I, know that with, with, with, with my, ⁓ focus on building up my personal brand, of course, and everything and all that, that’s, that’s, that’s probably, I would have to say maybe my top three priorities right now is one of them is my personal brand. And then also like my, my strengths and weaknesses and everything. Obviously, ⁓ when we were talking everything about, you know, how I, I seem to babble on, dabble on and everything before I getbefore I get on to like, like to the points and everything. So that’s, that’s something that I’m working on. That’s, that’s, that’s on there. scaling up. I know that once I’ve got, this Philippine deal and everything, it’s definitely gonna, it’s, I mean, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not trying to, you know, hold anything back. It’s gonna, it’s gonna be a very, a very wealthy, a very wealthy, succession fee commission, obviously, and everything 75 million.
and how we charge, you know, 4 % of commercial debt points and everything, and then 6 % of the equity financing. So it’s gonna make me, you know, a seven-figure millionaire, obviously, which is, you know, I don’t think it’s, mean, it’ll be life-changing, but it’s on to bigger things. It’s much on to bigger things, for sure. What I plan to do with that money, of course, and everything,
I will be going over to the Philippines opening up my consulting offices over there in Manila. That’s what I do want to do with that money. So that way I can, I know, honestly, I know I would be, I would be eligible for dual citizenship over there because I’m a half Filipino. My mom was born over there. So that would qualify me for dual citizenship to do business over there. So, that’s, that’s, that’s
that’s basically what what I’m focusing on for 2026. And then the launch of my maybe the launch of my own podcasts next year and everything would would be would be awesome as well.
Leo Wehdeking (15:20)
Alright man, that’s big. That’s cool, that’s cool man. Especially when you have everything in place already. Well, so that’s cool.Paulie D Duguay (15:26)
Not yet.Not yet. Not yet. All the place. I mean, it’s it’s it’s it’s enough there. I do what I what I mean by that is that like I do have my own direct access to commercial debt lenders. We can do about up to one point five billion in capital stacking. So that’s that’s that that helps out tremendously and everything and all that. Now, also a lot of the other ⁓ resources that I have and everything, the network of professionals and everything.
my social media following and all that is growing and everything, which is nice. I’m not at a thousand followers yet on LinkedIn, but I mean, I’m not worried about, you know, basically my large, you know, following all that and everything. mean, I want people to know that how, much of importance I am and how resourceful I am, you know, what’s, what’s, what’s I’m capable of, my capabilities are and everything. So.
That’s the best answer I got. That’s my best answer that I got.
Leo Wehdeking (16:19)
Okay, that’s great, man.Okay, cool cool now Paulie I know that a lot of people listening are either early in their journey or they’re just looking to level up So I think they will benefit from hearing this when it comes from you now When when it comes about building relationships and growing up your network, what’s made the biggest difference for you?
Paulie D Duguay (16:31)
Yeah.Mm-hmm.
What’s the main difference, you said?
Leo Wehdeking (16:45)
No, what’s made the biggest difference for you when it comes about building relationships and growing up your network?Paulie D Duguay (16:52)
⁓ You know, I would have to honestly say I think a hundred being a hundred percent transparent You know, and it’s actually the most important thing I mean don’t don’t lie don’t don’t lie that you can do this and you can do that and everything Don’t don’t be though. Don’t be that guy literally. The other big difference of it everything, you know If you don’t know anything if you don’t know the answer to a client’s question tell Mike, I don’t know but I’ll find out for youThat’s all I can. That’s what I would say. That’s what I would say in doing because I used to do I used to do use car sales and everything. used to be in that business of working at a car dealership. So I was a salesman, you know, in that line of work and everything and marketing and everything. We had to do phone calls. You know, you know, at that back in them days, we didn’t have smartphone technology in 2006. from tremendously technology has come.
a long way since 2006. Okay, it really has. So
Leo Wehdeking (17:46)
Yeah, he does.Paulie D Duguay (17:47)
When I’m telling you when I used to sell cars and use car sales and everything and all that, that’s where we still had the old technology. We still used desk phones. We also used the desktop computers that were like, not anything internet connected. They were still like, plug-in wired internet access and everything. And we still use faculty. The phone line, yeah.Leo Wehdeking (18:11)
Yeah, I remember the phone line. You need needed to connectit to the phone lines in order to to to connect and that will take a while. I remember. I remember. All right. All right. That was actually pretty good. Yeah, I remember. I’m actually from from that era and even way back way before, you know, like from the 90s. I remember everything having my first phone, an analog one, not even a digital one, you know. So so I actually I.
Paulie D Duguay (18:20)
You remember,Okay.
yeah, exactly.
Leo Wehdeking (18:38)
I saw the transition from analog to digital. And when I had my first computer, I remember like, what is this? How do I use it? But you get used to it, to the technology. All right, all right.Paulie D Duguay (18:49)
right? no! Iremember the birth of the internet. I do too. I remember it in the 90s. I do too.
Leo Wehdeking (18:57)
Yeah, it was actually it was a game change thing at that time. You know, so so yeah, thankfully I got it. I got it and implemented into my own way of life. So I’m cool with it. All right, Paulie Paulie. So before we wrap up, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you or maybe collaborate or learn more about what you’re doing, what’s the best way for them to reach out to you?Paulie D Duguay (19:02)
yeah.⁓ I would have to say as of right now, would have to be LinkedIn probably. Probably LinkedIn would be the best social media platform to contact me and everything. if you go to my profile, you go to my bio and contact information, it’s all there. My Gmail email address is on there. My voice over IP number, they can text me on it. They can call me on that and everything directly.
If I don’t pick up right away, I will see it and then I’ll call them back. So I guess in a way that’s still old strategies and all that and everything. But that’s just how, where I come from in the old days of, know, technology and everything.
Leo Wehdeking (19:51)
Alright.Okay, all right. Perfect. Listen, Paulie, I really appreciate your time, your story and your perspective. We need more people in this space who are actually doing it the right way. All right. So thanks again for being on the show. And for those of you tuning in, if you got value from this, just make sure you’re subscribed. Okay. We got more conversations with operators just like Paulie. Okay. We’re out there building real businesses until then. We’ll see you on the next episode, guys.
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