How This Entrepreneur Lost Millions, Rebuilt His Wealth & Now Helps Investors Get Funding

Sergio Fernandez (00:00)
Once I sold the car wash, I invested in Bitcoin mining business. ‘Cause I’m a Bitcoiner. I have miners. It’s hardware that does work. You get paid monthly from it. So I thought it was a good play. You know, I had actual products, things like that. And that business ended up failing. So as soon as I made my first,

you know, big exit from a company, I immediately invested and lost. So, that has been tough. Like I said, we’re rebuilding now. But yeah, that has been one of the hardest things most recently I have gone through.

Joseph Crooms (02:06)
Hey everyone. Welcome to Investor Fuel Real Estate Pros Podcast. I’m your host, Joseph Crooms. Today I’m joined by someone I’ve been looking forward to chatting with. His name is Sergio Fernandez. He’s been making some serious moves, especially now. He’s sort of changed niches, but we want to find out where

his experience, why he changed niche, and what he’s experienced. Sergio, say hello to everyone.

Sergio Fernandez (02:36)
Hello everyone, Sergio Fernandez. Happy to be here.

Joseph Crooms (02:38)
Glad you’re here. I think our listeners are going to take something away from how you’re approaching your business now, how you’re looking to find new investors ⁓ homeowners that have equity and would like to invest. But before we dive in, how did you come to this new niche of your business?

Sergio Fernandez (02:58)
I’m older now, I’d say, for me, right? All my life I’ve been a small business owner, always started things. You know, our biggest business we had was a car wash we sold a couple of years ago. I still own a plumbing business and a fitness studio. So I’ve got businesses that I own, but just looking to see what’s going to fulfill me and what am I going to do for the rest of my life, right? So I enjoy helping people.

I love investing, I love talking business. So that led me to where I’m at today. I consider myself a funding advisor. So I’ll work with business owners, real estate investors to get them the funding that fits them best. That’s how I got here today.

Joseph Crooms (03:38)
Alright, so let’s do this. For people who may not be familiar with your world, give us the short version. What’s your main focus these days and what markets are you operating in or looking to operate in?

Sergio Fernandez (04:41)
Yeah, so my main focus today is to advise business owners and real estate investors on the funding that’s available to them and what’s the best funding for them specifically. Because everybody has a different, you know, scenario, whether they’re trying to buy a fix and flip or they’re looking to refinance their current properties to buy more properties. Every

client has a different situation. So I like to let them know what their options are first and foremost. And then, you know, bring them back multiple options or look at the options they have to see how they can get the least expensive capital they need for their next investment.

Joseph Crooms (05:27)
Do you have a background in real estate itself?

Sergio Fernandez (05:30)
Yes. So I used to flip homes. My wife and I, when we were younger, we flipped over ten homes. We also did some mobile homes as well. So we flipped mobile homes, we flipped actual single-family homes. And currently, I own a home service business, right? I own a plumbing company. So I’m still in that world, right? I know plenty of contractors, things like that.

Joseph Crooms (05:54)
That’s great. And what has been your consistent revenue yearly? I mean, what, all your businesses combined, what is your consistent revenue?

Sergio Fernandez (06:06)
For the businesses altogether?

Joseph Crooms (06:09)
On a monthly basis.

Sergio Fernandez (06:11)
Right, it varies all the time as you would know. But back when I had the car wash, right, that was one. Now today, as far as revenue monthly, between the plumbing, now we’ve got the funding company. You know, I’d say probably between a hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand a year—a month in revenue, revenue-wise, right.

Joseph Crooms (06:33)
Okay, and how long have you been operating at that level?

Sergio Fernandez (06:36)
At that level, ’cause that’s, you know, actually low for me now. So I’ve been operating at this level for ten-plus years.

Joseph Crooms (06:46)
So, you know, so I know those things haven’t been easy. What’s been the key that’s been keeping you and this creative machine running smoothly? What’s been that? What’s the—

Sergio Fernandez (07:02)
Yeah, I mean, I just love small businesses, so I love starting new businesses, get them going, running, you know, dealing with the marketing of them. But now, as you know, I transition, right? I’ve sold my main cash flow business a couple of years ago, as I explained. So one is just having to recreate that cash flow. And then two is this is, you know, just what I love doing. I love, I love investing.

I love talking to like-minded people.

Joseph Crooms (07:30)
Thank you. Now every operator I know has had a moment when things got real. Maybe a deal that went sideways or a time that they just had to pivot fast. Do you mind sharing one of those moments with us?

Sergio Fernandez (07:44)
Yeah, definitely. It’s not in real estate, right? But still the business investing world.

Once I sold the car wash, I invested in Bitcoin mining business. ‘Cause I’m a Bitcoiner. I have miners. It’s hardware that does work. You get paid monthly from it. So I thought it was a good play. You know, I had actual products, things like that. And that business ended up failing. So as soon as I made my first,

you know, big exit from a company, I immediately invested and lost. So, that has been tough. Like I said, we’re rebuilding now. But yeah, that has been one of the hardest things most recently I have gone through.

Going from a big win to a big loss. You know, I really, yeah, just having to start again.

Joseph Crooms (08:29)
Thank you for sharing that. Honestly, that’s the kind of stuff people don’t talk about. It separates the folks who dabble from the ones who stay in the game long term. Let me ask you this. What are you most focused on solving or scaling next? What’s the next real goal for you?

Sergio Fernandez (09:21)
For me, personally, I mean, I think the big goal is to really focus on the funding advising. You know, that’s what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, you know, I feel, ’cause it’s something I enjoy, something I’m passionate about. So really focusing on that. How can I fund real estate investors, business owners, and as well, I’ll still keep investing myself, right?

Joseph Crooms (09:47)
That’s big, especially when you’ve already had some ups and downs, you’ve been in real estate. So that’s a best-in-place—the next move can either compound things or create chaos, depending on how you play it. So now, I know our listeners are really going either early in their journey and looking to level up. I think they’ll benefit from hearing this. When it comes to building relationships

and growing your network, what makes the biggest difference to you?

Sergio Fernandez (10:17)
Growing your network, the biggest difference for me. I think it’s just consistency, right? Like, I think you’ve just got to consistently be mindful to network. It helps, obviously, if you enjoy what you’re doing. So I think that’s the biggest thing is consistency and providing value to your network.

Joseph Crooms (10:35)
And what are some of the network groups that you have been either looking at or had in the past? What are you going to do with those?

Sergio Fernandez (10:45)
In the past, I’ve been a part of plenty of organizations. I can’t even remember all the names—Chambers of Commerce, things like that. Currently, I think me, personally, what I’m going to focus on networking-wise is getting real big in the SBDC, which is the Small Business Development Center. It’s, you know, like a government-funded program where they help small business owners get the guidance they need

to start businesses, and even if you already own a business, how to better it. So I’m really going to focus on that, though, that group.

Joseph Crooms (11:18)
So, yeah, you can’t fake those relationships, and that’s very important that you connect. Right, before we wrap up, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, maybe collaborate to learn more about what you’re doing, what’s the best way to reach you?

Sergio Fernandez (11:32)
You know, I’m not a big social media guy, but I have made a real effort on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. You can just find me at Sergio Fernandez, or on Instagram @serg_fdz. And then I’ve got a website, probably the easiest, sergiofernandez.biz.

Joseph Crooms (12:34)
You can repeat those one more time just for that audience and for a pen.

Sergio Fernandez (12:38)
Yeah.

So the easiest way would be SergioFernandez.biz would be my website. And then on LinkedIn I’m at Sergio Fernandez. And then on Instagram and Facebook, Sergio Fernandez as well. So all of them.

Joseph Crooms (12:54)
Thank you very much. Perfect. Well, listen, I appreciate your time, your story, your perspective, and I wish you all the best in your new business venture and in your plumbing company, everything. I think you’re going to, I hope you really bring it all together. We need more people in this space who are doing it the right way. Thanks again for being here, Sergio. And for those of you tuning in, if you got some value from this, and I know you did,

make sure you subscribe. We got more conversations coming from operators just like Sergio—who are out there building real businesses, helping real people. So we’ll see you on the next episode of the Investor Fuel Real Estate Pros Podcast. And Sergio, why don’t you tell everybody “see you later”?

Sergio Fernandez (13:45)
All right. See y’all later. Have a good one.